Mr. Kevin Osborne is the Senior HIV advisor at the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) – which he joined in the latter half of 2003.

As a native South African with extensive and varied experience in the HIV field, the current focus of his technical skill and expertise is in integrating HIV more fully into the sexual and reproductive health agenda. He continually stresses the need for evidence-informed interventions and is part of the editorial team of the HIV Review Group of the Cochrane Collaboration. Human rights and its application is central to Kevin’s work and understanding of the epidemic. Currently he is also working on ways to reduce HIV related stigma and discrimination and has pioneered the development and application of the People Living with HIV Stigma Index.

Kevin has worked in HIV – at both a policy and programme level – for over twenty years and has worked in all regions of the world. Prior to joining IPPF, Kevin was the Director of HIV at the Futures Group International in Washington, DC where he worked extensively on the POLICY Project, a global USAID initiative. He has also provided much needed technical support to regional programs around the globe to address HIV policy issues. These have included the development of local response and capacity development initiatives through UNAIDS; the development of an advocacy agenda for the PLHIV community; supporting advocacy for key populations and ensuring that the gender dimensions of HIV are adequately addressed.

Kevin is an excellent communicator and has written extensively on HIV related issues for a variety of fora. As one of the first syndicated columnists on HIV for a newspaper in South Africa, he has used his ability as a writer to communicate new trends and issues about the epidemic. He also initiated the first ‘talk back’ radio programme on HIV and has presented at numerous international and regional conferences. Areas of special interest include human rights and the empowerment of most at risk populations; HIV workplace policy and programme development; community and organizational development; multi-sectoral responses and the linking of HIV and sexual and reproductive health responses at the policy, services and structural levels. His unique combination of passionate intensity with an analytical approach has ensured that his responses to the challenges of HIV are flexible, innovative and grounded in the realities of peoples’ lives.