Douglas Silva, with his generosity and empathy even in the face of the most difficult challenges, showed us that his tirelessness was unstoppable. For many years, Douglas was part of the National Network of Adolescents and Young People Living with HIV/AIDS and coordinator of the Associação Fênix in Curitiba. He stood out as an activist for human rights, for universal access to treatment, and he always advocated for a full democratic and participatory health system.

Douglas' advocacy went far beyond the fight for health, as he was and always will be an  inspiration for young people, especially young gay, black, and poor people in Brazil. In recent years Douglas led the Curitiba site’s Community Engagement team for the Mosaico study. His leadership was a significant factor in communicating about the study with the community, and it helped the site earn recognition with the Marcio Martins award in June 2022. This was an important acknowledgment of the site’s efforts in support of the LGBTQIA+ community.  Douglas will always be remembered for having shown us how to work in solidarity, and to uphold critical universal values in the fight for human rights.