Tuberculosis (TB) causes thousands of deaths in South Africa and abroad each year. The month of March is dedicated to raising TB awareness, culminating on March 24 when World TB Day is observed across the globe. In a weekly series, Berea Mail will publish articles to raise awareness about TB. This week we chat to TB survivor, Bongani Mahlangu.
TODAY, Mahlangu (41), is TB-free after completing his course of TB treatment through the Advance Access & Delivery (AA&D) peer accompaniment programme. Based in Greyville, AA&D SA is a local branch of the global organisation which runs programmes in India, Peru, Russia, and the United States. Through their peer accompainment program, formerly homeless scouts, known as ‘peers’ locate TB patients living on the Durban streets and deliver medication with a meal.
Mahlangu who hails from the Eastern Cape, came to Durban in 1999 to seek employment. He was homeless when he tested positive for TB in March 2020 while living in a municipal shelter during the Covid-19 hard lockdown.
“I couldn’t do anything. I was shaking. I had no strength and I couldn’t eat,’ recalled Mahlangu.
Now TB-free, Mahlangu works as a car guard on the busy Dr Pixley KaSeme Street (West Street) in Durban’s CBD where he lives in a shelter. Mahlangu said he owes his clean bill of health to the peer accompaniment programme. He was introduced to the programme when AA&D visited the municipal shelter during lockdown and tested him for TB.
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“I didn’t know what was wrong with me. After a check up, they told me I had TB and that I would need to take medication,” he said.
Peer Bonginkosi Mgaga was assigned to help Mahlangu, delivering medication and offering support daily throughout the six month course.
“He helped me a lot. I couldn’t even stand up. He came to see me everyday and brought my medication. I started to get better until I could stand again,” said Mahlangu.
Without the peer-accompaniment programme, Mahlungu said he would not have been able to continue TB medication.
“You can’t even walk a few meters without falling down. It would take the whole day to walk to the clinic,” he said.
Mahlangu hopes the peer accompaniment programme will continue their good work. Even after symptoms alleviate, finding time to visit a clinic is no small feat for someone living on the street.
“When you take medication without eating, it makes you feel sick. When you are sick it’s a big problem, because you can’t hustle to earn money for shelter,” said Mahlangu.
He urged TB patients to complete their course.
“The first time I took treatment, I defaulted. After taking tablets for a while I felt better and stopped taking the medication. When the TB came back, it came back stronger. TB patients need to make sure they take the tablets at the right time, in the right way for the full six month course. Even if you feel better, you are not fully healed. If TB comes back, it is worse. When I stopped taking my medication I didn’t realise what I was doing to myself. I was killing myself,” he said.
Emotional turmoil
While Mahlungu battled TB, he faced the added burden of being ostracized
“No one comes to help you. Some people didn’t even want to stand next to me. I felt lonely and sad. It’s a challenge because you have no one to talk to and no one to help you deal with your stress,” he said.
ALSO READ: TB awareness month: medication to the streets
While his parents have both passed away, Mhlangu had no family to turn to during his struggle with TB. The few remaining family members he has live hundreds of kilometers away in the Eastern Cape. That’s where peer, Mgaga came in.
“He made me feel loved. He was there for me,” said Mahlangu.
Seeking employment
Mahlangu hopes to find a job as a carpenter or plumber.
“If I can find a job and a place to stay, it would help me,” he said.
Call Michael Wilson at AA&D on 076 187 2667.
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