HIV activist uses Charlize Theron’s Instagram for a day

A young South African activist living with HIV will take over Oscar winner Charlize Theron’s Instagram account on World AIDS Day, the United Nations said Thursday.

Ibanomonde Ngema, a 21-year-old activist, will take over as head of the South African-born actress’s global account @charlizeafrica, which has some 7.6 million followers, on December 1, UNAIDS said in a statement.

The takeover by Ngema, who was born with HIV and has dedicated her advocacy work to dispelling myths and reducing stigma around HIV, is aimed at raising awareness of young people’s first-hand experiences with HIV, it said.

Theron, a so-called UN peace ambassador who has long worked to combat the systemic inequalities that lead to HIV infections among young women and girls, stressed in the statement that “ending AIDS is within reach.”

But, she warned, “only if we fully dismantle harmful patterns of stigma and discrimination through laws, policies and practices that protect people living with HIV.”

Theron won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starring role in the 2004 film “Monster,” and more recently has appeared in films such as “Mad Max: Fury Road.”

“I have always loved watching Charlize Theron on the big screen and have long been inspired by how she used her influence to help people around the world, especially in our home country of South Africa,” Ngema said in the Explanation.

The announcement came after UNAIDS released a new report this week that showed how rights abuses increase women and girls’ vulnerability to HIV.

According to UNAIDS, 62% of all new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa last year were women and girls.