Christine Kafando

Christine Kafando (born ) is a Burkinabé HIV/AIDS activist. Since the 1990s, she has been active in HIV/AIDS prevention and response efforts. For her work, she has been recognized by Burkina Faso's Order of Merit and France's Legion of Honour.

Biography Kafando was born in Ivory Coast. She moved to Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, in 1994. She married her husband in 1997, at age 25. That year, they both attended an HIV screening; Kafando was HIV-positive, while her husband was not. In 2001, as part of her activism work, Kafando became the first Burkinese woman to publicly disclose her HIV-positive status. She is credited with encouraging then-president Blaise Compaoré to declare his support for HIV/AIDS-related efforts, and to publicly announce that he himself would be tested for HIV. She also coordinates the organization Maison des Associations de Lutte Contre le SIDA (House of Anti-AIDS Associations).

In 2004, Kafando was decorated with Burkina Faso's National Order of Merit. In 2014, she was awarded the International Prize by Sidaction, a French HIV/AIDS charity.