“As employees of this health center, we consistently confront the difficulty of dealing with our emotions…These emotions inevitably accompany us to the office, and interacting with patients becomes our outlet for processing these feelings,” Neema Mpaki, healthcare worker from Tanzania. While there are no shortages of systemic challenges when it comes to providing quality healthcare in Tanzania, provider empathy is a key ingredient that can be missing from the patient-provider relationship, particularly in interactions with young people and adolescents. At the Makole Health Center in Dodoma, th ..read more

In Dodoma, Tanzania, social norms influence what it is acceptable for families to talk about. These norms, coupled with competing life demands and distractions like subsistence living and cooking, make it uncommon for families in Dodoma to sit together and discuss life and its challenges and joys. This can leave adolescent boys and young men (ABYM) and adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), and those living with HIV, with a minimal opportunity to share and express themselves in meaningful ways with trusted members of their family. Anna Manyanda Anna Manyanda is proud of the Manyanda family ..read more

The sun beats down on Mampe, a street vendor in Motloi, a village in the drought-hit district of Mafeteng in southern Lesotho. With three daughters to provide for, the 27-year-old single mother is out most days selling wares in the community to provide for them. Fortunately, Mampe’s bubbly girls provide her with joy at the end of a long day. Four years ago, Mampe’s partner left her and the children to fend for themselves, which put the family in a food insecure situation—and at high risk of acquiring tuberculosis (TB). Poor nutrition and inadequate diet weaken the immune system and increase ..read more

At the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infection (CROI) in early March, Dr. Deborah Persaud announced that four children had achieved HIV remission. She sat down for an interview with EGPAF’s Eric Bond to explain the significance of this breakthrough and what it means for the fight for an AIDS-free generation.   Baby sleeps in mother’s lap in Tanzania. Eric Bond/EGPAF 2020 Could you explain the significance of your announcement at CROI? We reported that four children had gone into what we call ART-free HIV remission. ART stands for antiretroviral treatment. With HIV, once you ..read more

Libuseng Mohapi is a 25-year-old living in Berea, a northwest district in the mountain kingdom on Lesotho. Last year, she found herself in a health crisis, experiencing coughing, weight loss, night sweats, and a high fever. A visit to the Maluti Hospital provided an answer and she was diagnosed with tuberculosis or TB. Libuseng was grateful that she was put on treatment immediately and relieved that the hospital reached out to ensure that her household was healthy. Because it is so easily transmitted in a confined space, TB requires a household and family response. Children nearly always get ..read more

On a recent morning in southwest Uganda, the gates of Chahafi Health Centre IV open, and a vibrant scene unfolds. The Bafumbira community gathers to celebrate the arrival of a newborn into its fold. The drums beat and the aroma of cooked food fills the air. symbolizing the community’s support for one another at times of joy and delight. Community members waiting at the gates of Chahafi Health Centre IV. Photo by Winnie Nakiwunga/EGPAF The Bafumbira are an ethnic minority who are believed to be the earliest people of East Africa and live on both sides of the Uganda-Rwanda border. “The traditio ..read more

Aldron and Zanele Metiso have known each other since they were school kids growing up in the same community in Eswatini, a small nation in southern Africa. On this Valentine’s Day, they reflect on their 35 years together as husband and wife and rejoice at their happy life—including raising five children together. “Valentine’s Day means that we will continue to be together and renew our love as we have been doing all these years,” says Zanele—with her husband adding that this is a day for them to get much closer to each other and to continue to support each other in their journey living with HI ..read more

Emmanuel Asiimwe, 16, is an active teenager living in Kibisho, a farming village in southwestern Uganda. But he was not always so full of life. Often, over the past eight years, he has struggled with health complications, due to problems taking his antiretroviral treatment (ART) regularly. When Emmanuel was diagnosed with HIV at the age of 8, he was immediately enrolled in ART. However, viral load tests over the years continued to show that he was not suppressing HIV in his body. When the viral load is low (suppressed), a person living with HIV can lead a normal life, without the health risks ..read more

Celebrating Motherhood in Nigeria by Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation on on Exposure The post Celebrating Motherhood in Nigeria appeared first on Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation ..read more

Ts’epang Sonopo, a young woman living in Maseru, Lesotho, discovered her HIV-positive status when she was pregnant at the age of 21. Upon learning about her status, she immediately disclosed to her partner and requested that he go to the health facility for an HIV test. To her surprise, the partner said that he had previously tested and knew that he was HIV-positive—but he had not disclosed it to her. Ts’epang Sonopo, speaking at the PATA Summit in Maseru, Lesotho, explains the process of disclosing her HIV status to her mother. Photo by Lipuo Mokhesi/EGPAF 2023 “I was shocked and depressed ..read more