UNITE FOR CHILDREN UNITE AGAINST AIDS

February 1, 2009

PMTCT brings smiles on women’s faces

On January 28, I visited Siphofaneni Clinic where there is a support group comprising of over 100 women who are HIV-positive and have undergone the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV treatment (PMTCT) while they were pregnant. These women are under the Mothers2Mothers (M2M) programme supported by UNICEF in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

The M2M programme which was officially launched in 2008 aims to increase the number of pregnant women who access (PMTCT) services and improve the effectiveness of Swaziland’s PMTCT program by providing education and psychosocial support to HIV- positive mothers and mothers-to-be, using other HIV-positive mothers as mentors.

During this visit, my attention was drawn to a beaming mother who was tenderly holding her baby. She constantly played with her while sessions continued. I asked to speak to her and she keenly agreed to share with me how she benefited from the PMTCT programme.

Her name is Nozwela Methula. She is 30 and a mother of 4 children with only three living as one died at the age of 18 months due to HIV-related illnesses. The living children are 10 and 14 years old, the youngest is 5 months old. Her husband had two wives but the other wife died shortly after giving birth to a child who was suspected to be HIV-positive. Her death was followed by Nozwelo’s child who died at 18 months in 2006. Nozwela then suspected HIV to be the cause, and she went for testing. Her suspicion was confirmed when she tested HIV-positive.

“I asked my husband to go for an HIV test but he refused. I also begged him to use a condom since I knew my HIV status, he also refused. As a result I got pregnant again,” Nozwela laments with pain in her eyes.
 
But Nozwela quickly brightens up as she continues:

“While going for regular checkups at the Clinic during pregnancy, I met the M2M mentors who are based at the clinic. They advised that I undergo the PMTCT programme and also join a support group. Little did I know that my negative outlook on life would soon change. I met other mothers, some of which were my neighbors, who are also HIV-positive and their babies are HIV-negative and I knew then that I had a new lease on life. Indeed, I gave birth to a bouncing baby girl who tested HIV-negative and I am over the moon. I really thank M2M and UNICEF for this program.”

Nozwela and other women are very thankful to UNICEF for the support of the PMTCT programme which has wiped tears from their eyes as they hold HIV-negative babies in their arms. I am confident that with more resources to this programme in all of Swaziland’s 360 communities, eventually, a new HIV-free generation will be born.