Arda Karapinar - World Patients Alliance

Arda Karapinar (a.k.a Minas Panosian, Panosian) is a global HIV treatment activist, community writer, and founder of Red Ribbon Istanbul Association, Türkiye’s leading HIV-focused civil society organization/information provider.

He represents the HIV Community in the media and international meetings/congresses/conferences. Also, he writes regularly on HIV science and treatment updates for Türkiye’s most visited HIV theme website www.hivhakkindahersey.org.

Arda, who has been an actor for many years and active in politics for a while, has been engaged in activism, with HIV at its center, for about 15 years.

He continues his work not only in Türkiye but also in different regions and countries of the world depending on the project periods, hoping to make a high contribution to a healthy social debate on HIV and to change the narrative.

During this time, Arda designed and wrote a book on HIV with famous writers, made television and radio programs and tried to raise awareness by talking openly about HIV in a region where HIV is taboo. As one of the successful examples of activism in Türkiye in 2019, Arda also made a speech at an event held at the European Parliament.

In 2022, Arda took part in the scientific committee of HIV Glasgow, and since 2021, he has been organizing a community conference called “HIV Istanbul, “covering Türkiye and the MENA and EECA regions he interacts with.

Arda, who is currently working as a volunteer chairperson at Red Ribbon Istanbul and a member of the Undetectable=Untransmittable (U=U) Global Community Board at the New York-based Prevention Access Campaign, continues to serve on the Scientific Board of HIV Glasgow 2024, one of the well respected conferences in the field of HIV.