Phoenix Health Movement - Home Page

Challenging health inequalities and empowering communities to take control of their health.

Dr Vanessa Apea

Co-Founder and Medical Director of Phoenix Health Movment

Dr Vanessa Apea is a consultant physician in Genito-urinary and HIV medicine at Barts Health NHS Trust and an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London. She is also the deputy academic lead for equality, diversity and inclusion within its School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Vanessa has made reducing inequities in healthcare a central focus of her clinical work and research and has an established track record of exploring barriers to engagement in care in marginalised populations. She has a particular research interest in participatory approaches and the intersection of race, gender and health.

Vanessa is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and a Fulbright scholar.

Videos featuring Vanessa

News featuring Vanessa

Zero Stigma Day

Zero Stigma Day

Zero Stigma Day is a grassroots awareness campaign that mobilises and unites people, organisations, and entire countries across the world to take action against HIV stigma. The campaign was conceived by our Co-Founder Dr Vanessa Apea, as Medical Director of Naz in...

Black Women’s Health Manifesto Collective

Black Women’s Health Manifesto Collective

On Friday 16th May 2025, the Black Women’s Health Manifesto Collective met in London. Co - chaired by Professor Jenny Douglas and Dr Vanessa Apea, key leaders and strategic drivers of the Collective, the meeting brought together healthcare professionals, activists,...

Positive Health – Episode 1

Positive Health – Episode 1

Susan Cole and Denis Onyango were joined by phenomenal guests: Dr Vanessa Apea from SHARE Research Collaborative (also Phoenix Health Movement Co-Founder!) and Rev. Jide Macaulay CEO of House of Rainbow & Co-Chair of One Voice Network (OVN). We discussed a wide...

Nneka Nwokolo

Nneka Nwokolo

Dr Nneka Nwokolo Dr Nneka Nwokolo, is the co-founder of NewWoman Health, a clinic offering holistic menopause care. She is also an Honorary Consultant Physician in Sexual Health and HIV at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London where she has run a menopause clinic...

Husseina Hamza

Husseina Hamza

Husseina Hamza Husseina is the Co-founder and CEO of Red Ribbon Living Well. RRLW is a community-led organisation supporting individuals affected by and living with HIV, mental health, and families experiencing domestic violence. She is an experienced community...

Rebecca Mbewe

Rebecca Mbewe

Rebecca Mbewe Rebecca Mbewe is one of the co-authors of ‘Our Stories Told By Us’ and has lived experience of HIV of over 25 years. Rebecca is a Research Assistant with the SHARE collaborative at Queen Mary University London, bringing over 25 years of professional and...

Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan

Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan

Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan Dr Rageshri Dhairyawan is a Consultant in Sexual Health and HIV Medicine at Barts Health NHS Trust and Deputy Director of the SHARE Collaborative, Queen Mary University of London. Her clinical work, research and advocacy focus on improving...

Dr Annabel Sowemimo

Dr Annabel Sowemimo

Photo: Tom TrevattDr Annabel Sowemimo Dr Annabel Sowemimo is a doctor, academic, activist and writer. She is an NHS Consultant in Sexual & Reproductive Health working in South London. She founded the charity the Reproductive Justice Initiative (RJI, formerly...

Angelina Namiba

Angelina Namiba

Angelina Namiba Originally from Kenya, Angelina has over 25 years of experience working in the HIV sector on different initiatives ranging from providing one-to-one support to people living with HIV, treatment advocacy, and managing service delivery to facilitating,...

Florence Eshalomi MP

Florence Eshalomi MP

Florence Eshalomi MP Florence is the Labour and Co-operative MP for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green, and has been an MP continually since 2019. She is Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee, and Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary...

Marc Thompson

Marc Thompson

Marc Thompson Marc Thompson, the Lead Commissioner of the London HIV Prevention Programme, is a health promotion specialist, award-winning podcaster, and LGBTQ cultural archivist. Over the past three decades, he has been at the forefront of HIV and LGBTQ activism,...

Eliane Becks Nininahazwe

Eliane Becks Nininahazwe

Eliane Becks Nininahazwe I grew up in Burundi during a turbulent period of civil war. I was diagnosed with HIV in 2003. In 2011 I became a Dutch citizen. Since 2015, the year I shared my HIV status with the world, my passion is to make a positive change in the lives...