The Burnett Foundation provides HIV prevention tools, treatment, support and care services for LGBTQIA+ communities and Kiwis living with HIV. Photo / Getty Images
The Burnett Foundation provides HIV prevention tools, treatment, support and care services for LGBTQIA+ communities and Kiwis living with HIV. Photo / Getty Images
Liz Gibbs has been appointed chief executive of the Burnett Foundation, starting June 9.
Gibbs aims to achieve zero new HIV transmissions and Aids-related deaths in New Zealand.
The Foundation’s expanded remit focuses on prevention, reducing stigma, and improving access to services for all communities.
The new head of a charity providing critical HIV support and prevention services to Kiwis sees a near future where those living with HIV thrive and New Zealand is free of any new transmissions or Aids-related deaths.
Liz Gibbs has been appointed the Burnett Foundation‘s new chief executive, taking on the job come June 9 after finishing up as the Selwyn Foundation‘s chief of social impact later this month.
“I‘m excited about this new role,” Gibbs told the Herald.
“I aim to ensure that we achieve the goal of making history by helping Aotearoa New Zealand become the first country in the world with no new HIV transmissions.”
Backed by a strong background in charity and philanthropy, with experience working in impact-driven organisations and advising all sides across Parliament’s aisle, Gibbs is set to lead the Burnett Foundation (formerly the NZ Aids Foundation) through the next phase of Aotearoa‘s HIV response.
The Foundation has provided Kiwis with HIV prevention tools, advocacy and care for over 40 years.
Liz Gibbs will become the Burnett Foundation's new CEO on June 9.
It was renamed after Bruce Burnett, whose successful Aids education and awareness efforts in 1980s New Zealand helped secure the first Government-issued funding for the Foundation before his own Aids-related death.
“Our work in this space on preventing HIV transmission, combating stigma and maximising the wellbeing of those most affected by HIV ... continues to be really important in Aotearoa.”
The Ministry of Health published a National HIV Action Plan in 2023, targeting zero local transmissions and Aids-related deaths by 2030, along with ending stigma and strengthening support for people living with HIV.
That same year, the Burnett Foundation expanded its remit to align with the plan’s goals while broadening sexual health support to all rainbow and Takatāpui communities.
“We want to ensure that nobody gets left behind in our HIV response,” Gibbs said.
“There are still issues, as we’re probably all aware, of stigma and discrimination.”
The Burnett Foundation is therefore needed to provide “continued support for people living with HIV” and help “create an Aotearoa where the LGBTQIA+ community is free to live, free to love, and free from the stigma, fear and isolation of HIV”.
Kiwis can access a variety of sexual health services through the Burnett Foundation, such as HIV & STI testing. Photo / 123RF
While the number of new HIV diagnoses in New Zealand rose from 67 in 2021 to 97 in 2023, the latest numbers reflect a 30% drop from the 2016-2020 average of 138 diagnoses.
It’s a sign of the Foundation’s progress, but also a reminder that gaps remain.
New Zealand is falling behind some of its international partners, where biomedical advances have seen new treatments like long-acting injectables provide greater security for those living with HIV.
Gibbs wants her leadership to accelerate Aotearoa‘s HIV response, and ensuring equitable access to treatment and prevention tools - particularly for rural, Pasifika and other underserved communities - will be one of her priorities.
“My approach is very much a values-driven, strategic, and collaborative approach,” Gibbs said, before highlighting the ways the Burnett Foundation could lower public health costs through prevention and generate greater outcomes for taxpayers.
One example included a social impact bond piloted by the Elton John Foundation in the UK, which funded routine HIV testing for over 265,000 emergency department patients.
The initiative led to 500 early diagnoses and huge public health cost savings to the tune of £90 million ($200m).
The Elton John Foundation's collaboration with the UK Government has been instrumental in catching HIV diagnoses early and creating public health cost savings. Photo / Getty Images
It’s “money well spent” with a “good return on investment”, Gibbs says, and resulted in the UK pouring £20m ($44.5m) back into the programme to expand emergency department testing to other vulnerable areas.
“I think there’s a really interesting opportunity here in New Zealand to use more of a social impact approach,” Gibbs said, noting great early detection and treatment for those affected translates into cost savings for Kiwi taxpayers too.
A Burnett Foundation analysis found that for every dollar invested in its services, the New Zealand public saves just over $5 in public health costs related to avoided HIV acquisition.
And while Gibbs seeks to employ fresh research, new treatments and innovation to improve equity outcomes in the new role, she remains inspired by the Foundation’s legacy, the growth in HIV awareness, and the momentum building for a people-first sexual health movement in New Zealand.
“[I‘m excited] to be a part of an organisation that’s part of New Zealand’s DNA, increasingly ... promoting the equity and diversity of our communities and the richness that brings,” Gibbs said.
“We could be the first in the world to [achieve zero HIV transmission], you know, that would be incredible.”
Tom Rose is an Auckland-based journalist who covers breaking news, specialising in lifestyle, entertainment and travel. He joined the Herald in 2023.
