At 19, Yinka Jegede-Ekpe tested positive for HIV, a revelation that reshaped her life and future. She immediately faced rejection as her church choir turned her away and her nursing school pressured her to leave. Undeterred, she continued her education and earned a degree in 2001.

Years later, as misinformation and denial about HIV/AIDS fuelled preventable deaths across Nigeria, she chose to go public about her status, becoming the first Nigerian woman to do so.

Driven to create change from her experience, she founded the Nigerian Community of Women Living With HIV/AIDS, providing support, amplifying voices, and educating orphans affected by the epidemic. As a consultant with UNICEF, she worked to expand access to antiretroviral treatment, improving health outcomes for women and children.

Jegede-Ekpe’s resolve transformed the HIV/AIDS narrative in Nigeria and her advocacy earned her the Reebok Human Rights Award in 2004.