Chilufya Kasanda is the Executive Director of the Ascend Futures Foundation, where she leads strategy, partnerships, and innovation to advance health equity and expand HIV prevention choices. A social development professional, she brings deep expertise in HIV programming, advocacy, gender-transformative approaches, and multisectoral coordination.

Chilufya has been instrumental in driving national and global advocacy for PrEP integration and the introduction of new HIV prevention technologies, particularly for adolescent girls and young women. She engages closely with donors, funders, pharmaceutical partners, and the Medicines Patent Pool to strengthen access pathways, technology transfer, and generic manufacturing. She also contributed to the Women’s HIV Prevention Choice Manifesto as part of the African Women Prevention Community Accountability Board.

She serves on several influential advisory and technical bodies, including the Expressive Study Global Community Advisory Group, the Long-Acting PrEP Coalition Caucus as Co-chair, ViiV Healthcare’s Africa HIV Prevention Community Advisory Board, the WHO Guideline Development Group, and the Young Women’s HIV Prevention Council. Inspired by a commitment to social justice, empowerment, and mentorship, Chilufya continues to champion evidence-based advocacy and community-driven leadership to expand choice, equity, and impact in the HIV response. 

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Development Studies and a Master’s in Human Rights, Governance, and Development from the University of Zambia.