Fighting HIV/Aids stigma: A story of hope

Mbozi. On my way to Ichesa village in Songwe Region’s Mbozi District recently, my mind raced as I tried to figure out what lay ahead of me. I was going to meet people living with HIV. I envisaged seeing not so healthy-looking people but people who had lost hope.

How wrong I was! On the contrary, everyone I met looked healthy and happy, their faces full of hope.

As if reading my mind, Alphan Langison tells me; “All these people here are HIV positive. We have nothing to worry about. We are sure of living a normal life just like any other person.”

Langison is the chairman of Jiwezeshe, a 60-member economic empowerment group of people living with HIV in Iganya village.

Financial stability, good diet and healthcare access have restored the smiles on these people’s faces. Smiles that were inexistent in previous years when stigma was at its peak.

People living with HIV/Aids in Mbozi have new hope, thanks to the National Council for People Living with HIV/Aids (Nacopha).

“Through Nacopha, we were recognised, counseled and brought together through support groups. We are now sure of an income, a balanced diet and access to antiretroviral drugs and other necessities. We are no longer dependent,” Langison says.

Nacopha’s Managing Director, Deogratias Rutatwa says it was not easy reaching this stage. Some people had really lost hope.

“The council unites them and lets them know that life has to go on. One can live with HIV for many years. They only need to accept their situation and follow experts’ advice on staying healthy,” says Rutatwa.

Nacopha supports government’s 90-90-90 treatment target to help end Aids by 2020. The government aims at ensuring 90 per cent of all the people infected with HIV know their HIV status, 90 per cent of those diagnosed with HIV receive sustained ARV treatment and 90 per cent of those on ARV treatment have viral suppression by 2020. Viral suppression is a state where the virus reaches undetectable levels through treatment.

According to the 2016-2017 Tanzania HIV Impact Survey, HIV prevalence in Songwe Region is 5.8 per cent. Njombe has the highest prevalence rate at 11.4 per cent.

Before Nacopha introduced the support groups, HIV stigma and discrimination were very high in Mbozi. Many perceived a HIV positive test result as a death sentence.

“Although I had been sick for a long time, I was very shocked when I tested and was told I was HIV positive. I did not believe it. I thought that was the end of my life,” says Hashim Handala.

His friends and relatives isolated him, fearing he would infect them with the virus.

Joyce Machemba who has been living with HIV for 12 years went through the same ordeal. People pointed fingers at her believing she was going to die any time.

“People would refuse to lend me money for treatment fearing I would die before paying their money back,” she recalls.

Stigma made many people living with HIV turn into beggars. They had little or no income because no one bought things from them.

“I’m really grateful to Nacopha for restoring my health and happiness. Today stigma against me is history,” says Esther Mwamlima, who shares a similar story.Before she found out she had HIV, Esther thought she had been bewitched. She had been sick for long and consulted witch doctors in vain.

“I experienced a lot of stigma and I was in bad shape both financially and health-wise. No one could lend me money to buy food and medicine. To them, I had one foot in the grave,” she sadly recalls.

Mwamlima believes stigma can send someone with HIV to their early grave.

Economic empowerment

Nacopha’s national chairman, Justine Mwinuka attributes stigma reduction in the district to the formation of the support groups. Through the groups, members discuss issues about their health including diet. They also remind each other to take their drugs and discuss how to improve personal finance.

When a colleague falls ill, they support them in every way possible until they get back on their feet again.

“This happiness that you see among us is a result of our unity. The economic empowerment groups have changed our lives,” says Mbozi District Nacopha chairman, Moses Haongwa.

The tables have turned. Those who used to refuse lending them money are turning to them for loans. The support groups run savings and credit schemes.

The secretary of Jitegemee group which literally means stand on your own feet, Sofia Nyungu, says her group has managed to raise Sh4.5m from the Sh500,000 capital they received from Mbozi District Council a year ago. This enabled the group to buy and lend livestock to its members for income generation.

“Some of our members engage in farming and others in animal husbandry. We are now able to send our children to school,” says Nyungu.

Tujikomboe group members on their part contributed Sh500 each initially, money with which they bought chickens that multiplied after some time. They divided the chickens among themselves before they received a Sh500,000 boost from the district council.

“We own a groundnuts farm in which we invested the money we obtained from the district council. We have no worries at all,” says Tujikomboe secretary, Justa Nachanya.

Despite all this success, these people are facing one major challenge. The distance to health facilities where they get their ARV supplies.

“There are people who walk for up to four hours to a health facility for service. This is a big deterrent which makes many quit taking their medication. Going off medication is very dangerous,” Nachanya says.

Government can ease this burden by supplying the drugs through the support groups, suggests Magamba Ward councilor, Gilbert Mkoma. “This will make their life easier and encourage more people to take ARVs,” he says. For children on ARVs, missing classes to attend clinic is the biggest hurdle.

Mbozi Chief Medical Officer, Abdul Msuya says the district is looking into ways to bring ARVs closer to the people. He admits the support groups have helped raise the number of people using ARVs. He is proud that the groups have helped Mbozi stand out in the fight against stigma. The doctor says the district will continue with its efforts to ensure people go for HIV testing and those who test positive are put on ARV therapy.

Although the district HIV/Aids coordinator, Dr Mwanahamisi Kapola believes recording zero new infections is possible if all players play their part, Nacopha’s Managing Director, Rutatwa says there’s still a long way to go.

He cautions against giving HIV a blind eye, saying we have been silent on HIV for a long time. He wants people to understand that the disease is still here with us. “All stakeholders including political leaders should not give HIV a blind eye. Let’s use our platforms to talk about it,” he advises.

To show government’s commitment, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa recently announced he will be at the forefront in sensitising men to go for testing.

The Prime Minister says it is very dangerous for people to not know their status. Government plans to ensure everyone knows their status by encouraging people to go for testing.

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