By Admore Mbonda
COMMUNITY support groups dealing with HIV and AIDS are proving to be instrumental in reducing stigma levels and suppressing the HIV viral load among Bindura inhabitants.
This is being achieved as HIV patients are no longer ashamed to come out in the open to share their stories and get support to enhance adherence to treatment regimes, thanks to the hardworking Community Adolescent Treatment Supporters (CATS) like 22-year-old Samuel Hillary Ngirazi.
As CATS, Ngirazi’s work involves compiling information on adolescents on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and make follow ups at their homes to ensure they adhere to their medication. He is also peer leader of a group which imparts vital HIV information.
Working with adolescents requires consent from parents and guardians of the young people on ART before enrolling them into the ‘circle of friends.’
Himself being HIV+ and a beneficiary of another support group which helped him overcome denial, self-blame, irascibility and lack of confidence, Ngirazi now assists hordes of patients aged between 9 and 24 years to cope living with HIV.
“I joined a support group in 2017 and got invaluable life lessons from it. Before that, l was is denial, so irritable and reclusive. Now, l feel comfortable among peers and have high levels of self-esteem knowing my condition does not make me any different from other youths.
Ngirazi, who only to know of his HIV+ status while in Grade 5, expressed passion for his job as a CATS.
“I really love my work as a CATS, making a huge difference in the lives of other people undergoing stresses of having been diagnosed HIV+.
“Through our support group, members get vital HIV and AIDS information to help reduce stigma, boost their confidence levels as well as increase treatment adherence which in turn results in viral load suppression,” explained Ngirazi at Foothill Clinic during a recent National AIDS Council-organised media tour.
Temperance Kureya aged 21, is another CATS, who said home visits she conducts on adolescents on ART were really helping in raising awareness on living positively.
“We do follow up on clients and check whether they are taking their medication properly and consistently. The results have been so amazing as client rarely fall sick,” said Kureya.
A beneficiary of the CATS programme, Ropafadzo Mudzongachiso said she had learnt a lot from her peers.
“Initially, l was devastated knowing that l was HIV+. But since l started doing lessons through the support group, l regained my self-esteem and reassured myself that being positive doesn’t mean the end of the world. I really appreciate the CATS programme,” said Mudzongachiso, now a graduate of a Hotel and Catering qualification.
The main goal of the CATS programme is to achieve viral load suppression for adolescents living with HIV as Zimbabwe pushes to attain the 95-95-95 goals, whereby 95% of PL-HIV should be diagnosed, 95% of those diagnosed with HIV should be receiving ART, and 95% of all those receiving ART should achieve viral suppression.
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