International AIDS Society Mourns Kawango Agot

TAIWO ADELU

IAS – the International AIDS Society – mourns the passing of Kawango Agot, a distinguished Kenyan scholar, dedicated HIV prevention researcher and valued IAS member. Dr Agot passed away on 17 August 2024.

“Kawango Agot made invaluable contributions to many IAS Science and AIDS Conferences, including being a track member at AIDS 2024, the 25th International AIDS Conference,” IAS President Beatriz Grinsztejn said. “We will miss her expertise, guidance and commitment not just at our conferences but in the global HIV response. She made a profound difference in people’s lives.”

With almost 60 research studies over more than 20 years, Dr Agot’s work is credited with significantly shaping HIV prevention policies in Kenya and beyond. She was the founder, Director and CEO of the public health NGO, the Impact Research and Development Organization.

Dr Agot has implemented multiple HIV prevention programmes with adolescents and young people. Among other things, she founded the Nyanza Initiative for Girls’ Education and Empowerment, which raises funds to return girls to school after dropping out due to pregnancy, early marriage or female genital mutilation. She also founded Reducing HIV in Adolescents and Youth (RHAY), a movement to mentor young people in HIV research, make their voices heard in conferences on reproductive health, and promote their economic inclusion.

The IAS’s thoughts are with Dr Agot’s loved ones, as well as all those whose lives she touched.