Ravipa Vannakit RN, MSc

Ms. Ravipa Vannakit is the HIV/AIDS Technical Advisor for the USAID Regional Development Mission for Asia (RDMA) based in Bangkok, Thailand. She is the Program Manager for the PEPFAR-funded USAID LINKAGES Program that implements HIV/AIDS activities in Thailand and Laos. She is also responsible for research and implementation science activities for the USAID/PEPFAR Asia Regional Program. She is the Co-Principal Investigator of the cohort study on community-based test and treat in Thailand, and the feasibility study on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for men who have sex with men and transgender women also in Thailand. She is also the Principal Investigator for the study on 'Exploring Uptake of HIV Oral Fluid Testing among Men Who Have Sex with Men and Transgender Women in Thailand.

Ravipa studied nursing at Khonkaen University, Thailand and obtained an MSc in Public Health from London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom. Before joining USAID 6 years ago, she worked for Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre, UNICEF, WHO and Plan International. She has worked on HIV/AIDS for 20 years mainly in Thailand and the Asia-Pacific region. She has worked in Zambia. She has substantial experience in working with key populations and community-based approaches.