Patient shares his HV-positive journey to recovery

In the light of World Aids Day, which is annually celebrated on December 1, the Advertiser spoke to Lawrence Mahlulo, who has been living with HIV for almost two decades now.
The 49-year-old told the Advertiser that he nearly died from the disease, but the treatment he received from St Francis Care Centre saved him as he now lives a healthy life.
The Soweto resident was diagnosed with HIV in 2001.
“A few months after I tested positive for the virus, I became extremely sick, so much so that I was admitted in hospital where I received treatment. I thereupon began to drink antiretroviral drugs. My health gradually improved and I could do things that normal people do,” he said.
Unfortunately, Mahlulo faced challenges in his personal life in 2018 and he started to default on his medication.
“I was a fool and I stopped taking my medication. My health kept on deteriorating until I became seriously ill and was later admitted to St Francis Care Centre in December 2019.”
Mahlulo was also later diagnosed with TB and his health became worse.
“In May this year, I started to feel better as staff members at the centre took good care of me. These people are amazing and prevented HIV from killing me,” he explained.
Mahlulo was then discharged in August this year, but he still today thanks the staff at St Francis for their hard work, saying he will never forget them.
Mahlulo said when he came to the centre he weighed only 59kg and now weighs 90kg.
“I want to encourage people to get tested as it is important to know your HIV status. I also want HIV-positive patients to know it’s important to take medication.
“Furthermore, they mustn’t worry about what other people think. They should focus on their health since HIV is not death sentence,” he stressed.
He is always willing to share his story as he is passionate about creating awareness about HIV.
He may be contacted on 073 119 7182.

A few key facts about HIV/Aids on the World Health Organisation’s website:
• HIV continues to be a major global public health issue, having claimed almost 33 million lives so far. However, with increasing access to effective HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care, including for opportunistic infections, HIV infection has become a manageable chronic health condition, enabling people living with HIV to lead long and healthy lives.
• There were an estimated 38.0 million people living with HIV at the end of 2019.
• As a result of concerted international efforts to respond to HIV, coverage of services has been steadily increasing. In 2019, 68 per cent of adults and 53 per cent of children living with HIV globally were receiving lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART).
• A great majority (85 per cent) of pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV also received ART, which not only protects their health, but also ensures prevention of HIV transmission to their newborns.
• However, not everyone is able to access HIV testing, treatment and care. Notably, the 2018 Super-Fast-Track targets for reducing new paediatric HIV infections to 40 000 was not achieved. Global targets for 2020 are at risk of being missed unless rapid action is taken.

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