Sustained Health Initiatives of the Philippines (SHIP) was selected as a recipient of the inaugural Community Innovation Award by Grindr for Equality, presented during #AIDS2026 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil! Mohan Sundararaj, Managing Director of Grindr for Equality, and Jen Hecht, Cofounder & Director of Building Healthy Online Communities (BHOC), presented the award to SHIP’s Medical Director, Dr. Kate Leyritana, together with the Director for Clinical Programs, Dr. Patrick Eustaquio, and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, Research, and Learning Specialist, Dr. Rod Olete.
The Grindr for Equality Awards celebrate individuals’ and organizations’ valuable work in shaping our HIV response, giving special recognition to “exceptional leadership advancing HIV prevention, LGBTQ+ health equity, and access to care worldwide.”
With the honor of the Community Innovation Award and the support of Grindr for Equality, SHIP is bolstered even more to continue bridging HIV self-testing, PrEP, and mental health support to those who need it most, and strengthened to further serve as a model in its innovative and community-centered approaches to HIV prevention and healthcare.