Jamaica AIDS Support for Life (JASL) is the largest and longest-serving HIV & AIDS Human Rights Civil Society Organization in the region. The program at JASL spans the entire continuum of care (prevention, treatment, care and support, and enabling environment) and provides focused attention to key populations, including men who have sex with men (MSM), transgender women, sex workers, and persons infected and affected by HIV and AIDS.
The organization operates three fully accredited HIV treatment sites and uses a comprehensive health and case management model to deliver services. JASL is also regarded as a pioneer in prevention with youth and key-population-friendly services and was one the first agencies in Jamaica to offer PrEP in Jamaica and now HIV self-testing. JASL’s vision is to build a society that celebrates human diversity, preserves the rights and dignity of all, and provides services to all based on Love, Action, and Support.
Xavier Biggs is the monitoring and evaluation manager at JASL. He has been working in civil society organizations for the last 12 years. He is credited for transforming monitoring, evaluation, and learning at JASL and the wider HIV civil society organizations’ response in Jamaica by establishing standardized tools and knowledge products that are hailed as best practices by partners and have been adapted and adopted locally and across the Caribbean. He also provides technical support to the Strategic Information Unit of the Ministry of Health and Wellness by participating in a series of technical working groups.
Xavier is passionate about data-driven intervention and ensures that the programs designed for people living with HIV and other key populations (i.e., MSM, Transgender, and sex workers) are grounded in the correct context. His experience includes managing donor projects, including those facilitated by USAID/PEPFAR and the Global Fund. His training includes Knowledge Management for Global Health Professionals at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a First Degree in Social Policy and Development from the University of the West Indies, and he is currently pursuing a Master’s in Epidemiology. Xavier is also a car lover, enjoys road trips, and listens to a wide range of music.