The H-TEAM meets in-person and welcomes new members

As restrictions regarding COVID-19 in the Netherlands have eased, the H-TEAM was able to meet in-person again for the first time in over one and a half year. In light of this, the meeting focused on looking where we stand, the impact of COVID on the HIV epidemic in Amsterdam, and what is planned for the future. Besides this, two new H-TEAM members were presented to the team. We are eager to introduce them to you.

Sharjeel Muhammad joined the H-TEAM as Intervention Developer at Stichting Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development. He will dedicate his time researching how we can increase the uptake of HIV testing and early treatment in the pockets of populations in Amsterdam which are still out of the coverage. Sharjeel is a medical doctor and holds a master’s degree in Global Health from the University of Sheffield, and a master’s degree in Governance and Leadership in European Public Health from the University of Maastricht. Over the last ten years, he has worked with governments, civil societies, policy makers and health care providers on neglected issues such as access to contraception, safe abortion care, STIs/HIV prevention, and adolescent sexual health.

Emmy Hoskam joined the H-TEAM in September 2021 from her position at Soa Aids Nederland, where she is affiliated as a general practitioner for two days per week. At Soa Aids Nederland she promotes expertise among professionals in STI and HIV prevention and care in collaboration with other stakeholders. She first became aware of the issues surrounding STIs and HIV during her master’s degree in Global Health, which she followed alongside her medical studies. As part of her master’s, she went to Kenya to carry out qualitative research studying the risk behavior of female sex workers and their view on the care provided to them. After completing her studies, Emmy worked as a general practitioner in psychiatry and addiction care in Amsterdam and in the Emergency Department and Internal Medicine Department in a regional hospital in Nickerie, Surinam. Currently, besides her responsibilities at Soa Aids Nederland, she works as a general practitioner in the center of Amsterdam and she is training to become a sexologist at RINO. With the H-TEAM she hopes to contribute to a future without new HIV infections.