Coach Mpilo

IMPILO should be a lifestyle for anyone living with HIV

Date: Jul 9, 2024
The South Africa’s(SA) City of Tshwane’s Health Department has expressed concern at the continued rise in mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV in the Tshwane District.

The City says 232 babies in Gauteng tested positive for HIV in the first six months of this year, with almost 40 of them from Tshwane.

The City of Tshwane’s Grandi Theunissen, “The City of Tshwane Health Department offers mother, women, child health and nutrition programmes at its 24 primary healthcare clinics.

“These programmes seek to contribute towards the reduction of maternal and child morbidity and mortality by ensuring that clinics offer quality services. Key focus areas under this programme include, among others, basic antenatal care and prevention of MTCT transmission.”

In June, the SA National Aids Council (SANAC) expressed concern about the pace at which the country is dealing with HIV infections in children.

SA, together with 11 other countries, is a signatory to the Global Alliance to end the pandemic in children by 2030.

According to SANAC, each year, there is an estimated 50 000 new HIV infections among children and adolescents in the country.

The Global Alliance and SANAC were hosting a dialogue in Cape Town, to decrease these numbers by providing support, education, and resources, to teen mothers.

Champion and Coach: Supporting men living with HIV to stay on treatment | Global Health | U.S. Agency for International Development The Coach Mpilo model demonstrates that when we apply consumer insights and human-centred design approaches to understand people’s challenges from their perspective and to co-create solutions, we are able to achieve high levels of engagement, linkage, and retention.

HIV can lead to health problems if left untreated, but with proper treatment, you can quickly reach an undetectable viral load, which means HIV is fully under control.

Having an undetectable viral load means better health and a long life, and it also means you can't pass HIV to anyone else through s*x even if you're not using a condom.

HIV prevalence (% of population):

🇸🇿 Eswatini: 27.9%
🇱🇸 Lesotho: 20.9%
🇧🇼 Botswana: 18.6%
🇿🇦 South Africa: 18.3%
🇳🇦 Namibia: 11.8%
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe: 11.6%
🇿🇲 Zambia: 10.8%
🇰🇪 Kenya: 4.0%
🇨🇲 Cameroon: 2.9%
🇭🇹 Haiti: 1.8%
🇳🇬 Nigeria: 1.3%
🇱🇷 Liberia: 1.1%
🇹🇭 Thailand: 1.0%
🇺🇦 Ukraine: 0.9%
🇪🇹 Ethiopia: 0.8%
🇲🇲 Myanmar: 0.8%
🇧🇷 Brazil: 0.6%
🇨🇱 Chile: 0.6%
🇻🇪 Venezuela: 0.5%
🇵🇹 Portugal: 0.5%
🇦🇷 Argentina: 0.4%
🇺🇸 USA: 0.4%
🇲🇽 Mexico: 0.4%
🇫🇷 France: 0.3%
🇪🇸 Spain: 0.3%
🇮🇳 India: 0.2%
🇨🇭 Switzerland: 0.2%
🇳🇪 Niger: 0.2%

(1/2) ⬇️

🇮🇹 Italy: 0.2%
🇵🇰 Pakistan: 0.2%
🇷🇴 Romania: 0.2%
🇩🇪 Germany: 0.1%
🇦🇺 Australia: 0.1%
🇮🇷 Iran: 0.1%
🇩🇰 Denmark: 0.1%
🇳🇴 Norway: 0.1%
🇳🇱 Netherlands: 0.1%
🇪🇬 Egypt: 0.1%
🇧🇬 Bulgaria: 0.1%
🇧🇩 Bangladesh: 0.1%
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia: 0.024%
🇯🇵 Japan: 0.02%

🌍 World: 0.7%

(2/2) ⏺️

Living with HIV can bring a lot of challenges, and it's okay to feel overwhelmed sometimes. Depression is more common among people living with HIV, but it's something that can be managed with the right support. Using Masiviwe's depression screening tool can be a great first step in understanding how you're feeling and getting the support you need.

Read here for more: https://screeningtools.masiviwe.org.za/pages/Patient_Health_2.php



Masiviwe

It's important to take care of your mental health just like you take care of your physical health, and having health conditions like HIV can affect your mental health.

If you're experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition like depression or anxiety, talk to your healthcare provider about treatment options. It's okay to ask for help—everyone needs support sometimes.

Get more information about HIV and mental health at: https://brnw.ch/21wJPPy

I found out two years back that I had HIV but I delayed starting my treatment. I had not yet accepted that I must start taking pills. Everything was still the same. I felt fine, had not lost weight. Why must I take treatment if I'm not even sick? I told the nurse that I would start taking my treatment when I needed it.

But the nurse connected me with a coach, who explained to me that HIV is always ready to attack the body, therefore I must be ready to fight it by taking treatment. I must take the fight to HIV, make sure I keep it down before it has a chance to stand up. He helped me understand that if I put off treatment, I put myself at risk of not being able to get the virus under control later.

I have now started my treatment to achieve my goal of getting the virus under control and keeping it that way, so that I can stay healthy and strong.

If you want to talk to a coach too, you can reach one on 073 792 6342.

Coach Mpilo You can live a great life with HIV. I know because I'm doing it. Let me show you how.

Yazini I’m dealing with a lot. I don’t have the time and energy for one more thing. And I thought treatment would be a hassle.

But my coach helped me understand that it’s really not. Just one pill a day. And once I reached the six month mark and the virus was under control, they let me pick up my meds at the pharmacy rather than going to the clinic.

Now I can even get three months of meds at a time and only go to the clinic a few times a year for my viral load tests.

It’s not nearly as much work as I thought. It’s actually pretty easy.

If you need a coach too, you can find one on 073 792 6342.

Coach Mpilo You can live a great life with HIV. I know because I'm doing it. Let me show you how.

When I found out I had HIV, I felt numb. I knew I was supposed to drink those pills, but it just wasn’t something I wanted to think about. Those pills made me feel like a failure.

But then I linked up with a coach. It changed everything, seeing that someone cared about me and knowing I was not alone. My coach made me feel like my life could still be OK. And I believed him because he is like me, he also has HIV.

I had tried HIV treatment a while back and then I just stopped. It seemed too hard.

But then my coach told me that treatment has gotten a lot better in the last few years, so I decided to give it another try. This time, I’m winning on that one. Just one pill a day and I’m sorted. Last time I went to the clinic, they told me the HIV is completely under control. I feel like things are looking up!

If you want to talk to a coach too, you can find one at 073 792 6342.

Coach Mpilo You can live a great life with HIV. I know because I'm doing it. Let me show you how.

When I first got HIV I worried that people would think I was a player. But that way of thinking is not right. My coach helped me understand that anyone can have HIV and it doesn’t say anything about who I am.

HIV is no different than any other health issue, and it’s easy to get under control. And being on treatment means I’m part of the solution. So I’ve stopped feeling bad and started feeling proud. I’m doing the right thing.

Here’s the thing, HIV doesn’t define me and it doesn’t change who I am. I was a good person before HIV, and now with HIV I’m still a good person. If other people don’t get that, that’s their problem. Mina, I stand tall and feel good about myself! I’m the same person I always was!

I was also scared of sharing my HIV status with my girlfriend. I was sure she would dump me. But then I linked up with a coach and he helped me make a plan to tell her. It all worked out fine and she is even supporting me on my journey.

If you want to talk to a coach too, you can find one on 073 792 6342

I used to worry that living with HIV would mean the end of all the things I like. Going out to groove with the guys, hooking up with girls, that kind of thing. But it turns out that’s not true at all. I’ve been on umshanguzo for a while and I’m still a groovist. I haven’t had to give up anything. I just don’t drink so much that I forget to take my meds. I even take it to the groove with me.

They always say that you can live a long, healthy life with HIV. That sounds so boring though. What changed things for me was to know that I can have HIV and still have fun. My coach helped me get onto treatment and get HIV under control, so that I could just get on with my life. Yeah I’ve got HIV, but life's still good!

If you want to talk to a coach too, you can find one on 073 792 6342.

Zekisi! Wait!🙄

Instead of asking your potential partner about his/her favorite color, why don't you have important conversations like how much knowledge do you have on certain issues like HIV, SRH, menstruation men needs to know what goes around when you are menstruating, contraceptives, mental health, money management or some skills 🤷🏾‍♀️ things like his favorite food you'll definitely know them.....but such honest conversations are important Kuma first, you'll know what you are getting into.

Muleya naku VCT with your partner

Honestly, when I found out that I had HIV, I was in denial, disappointed with myself, hated myself, and as a result, I even tried to kill myself. This was the most difficult moment of my life. I didn’t know what to say or how to share with family and friends. All I could think about was getting rejected by the people I love.

But I got to a point where I was tired of lying about my pills and started sharing with family members. I have to say that taking my pills was a big struggle. I was not consistent which was a very bad idea and it all led to having kidney failure.

Over the years, I’ve noticed that people are afraid to share their status because of stigma and unfortunately this is something that we cannot run away from. The stigma varies. It goes from judging yourself to people in the community saying nasty things about you. However, this did not affect me as much, I did my best to block it out and I knew that the virus does not define me. I’m also aware that stigma comes from a place of ignorance and not being informed.

I work as an HIV activist, so that’s where I learned a lot of things and what it means to “have the virus under control”. This was a big goal for me and I was happy to achieve it. This meant I could live freely and continue to take good care of my health.

Unfortunately, healthcare workers use big words such as “viral suppression” and a lot of people don’t even know what that means. On top of that, they do not have the time to explain to patients. So, a lot needs to change in how we talk about HIV and I think this will help to minimize the stigma in our communities.

How do we get men to get on treatment and stay on treatment? Anyone working in HIV will know that South Africa has been wrestling with this challenge since the early 2000s.

Coach Mpilo is a reimagined case manager model for men. It employs men with HIV who are thriving as ‘coaches’ of men who are living with HIV and struggling. Coaches provide a safe, relatable source of support and serve as living proof that HIV is not the end of the road.

The model is achieving 97% linkage and 94% retention.

The secret sauce in Coach Mpilo is that your coach is your friend, not your case manager or your peer educator or your nurse. We know that men want advice from friends who understand what it's like and who have been there. That's what makes this concept work...and soccer, of course, always soccer!

It was painful finding out that I’m living with HIV. I was thinking of death, but I had to accept my situation. When I was exposed to more information, I came to understand that there are many other people in the same situation as me and they have been living with HIV for a long time and they have normal lives.

In order to take my treatment freely, I decided to share my status with my family and they were very supportive. It’s funny that people still don’t believe I have HIV. Every time I mention this, they really think that I’m joking. I go as far as showing them the clinic appointment card to prove my point and I explain that treatment is why I have been able to live such a normal life.

I started taking my treatment on the day I was told that I have HIV. I was on top of things from the beginning.

I’ve never experienced any stigma or discrimination from my community. I’m even on a couple of billboards that encourage people to start or stay on their treatment.

My HIV journey has been a successful one. Now, all I do is go to the clinic every six months to do some blood tests and that’s how I make sure that the virus is still under control. These blood tests are so important because the nurses can help and guide you to get to a better place in your journey. Having the virus under control simply means that I cannot infect my s*xual partner.

Knowing that I cannot pass on the virus made me feel good about myself. It meant that I was doing the right thing to get my life in order. I was so excited. Don't wait. The sooner you get on top of it the better.

After a crazy night siphuza e saloon 🎵🍺celebrating Shabba winning the Golden sizzor award. I had a 1 nigh stand with an older lady owaye umngani we colleague u Lindiwe.

Next morning when I just entered the door. Sengizwa ngo Lindiwe ememeza. "I hope niyisebenzisile i condom ngoba umngani wami u HIV positive" 😡 I froze and ngavele ngaphelelwa amandla. Well wonke umuntu owayese saloon at that time knew I was infected with HIV.

Few months later she passed on and ngangithi nami ngizomlandela ngizoshona. But look where I am today. ♥️

I was going to donate blood when I found out that I’m living with HIV. They didn't take my blood that day, instead they gave me a letter to see a doctor at Baragwanath Hospital. So, I went to the hospital and gave them the letter, and they advised me to take an HIV test with the doctor.

After that, I had to wait for my test results. Two weeks later, I went back to the hospital and I was told that my results were positive. To be honest, I kept on telling myself that I’m negative because I was a blood donor for so many years and I never thought the results would come back positive. At that moment, I was confused and did not cry. But, when I got out of the hospital I started crying.

I was thinking of my kids and at that time, HIV was associated with death. I didn’t tell anyone about my status and I kept it a secret for 4 years.

In the community, I was seen spending a lot of time with the TAC people and that pressured me to start sharing my status. I went on to Jozi FM and shared my story, because I didn't want my mother to hear from other people. But my approach made things worse as I started to face a lot of stigma from people.

I lost friends and family members as they did not want to associate themselves with me. They didn’t even want to be close or near me, so they would stand outside the house gate when coming to see. With all that discrimination happening, I gained strength and began to mind my own business and not pay attention to what people were saying, though it wasn't easy but I had to pull through. But others who were living with HIV and hiding in my neighborhood came to me for advice.

My virus is under control because I honor my clinic appointments. I was really happy when the nurse told me the news. Right now, I'm not a risk and I cannot infect anyone but that doesn't mean I shouldn’t use a condom. This is just a good sign that I take my treatment the right way, as instructed by the nurses at the clinic. Luckily, I was also taught about this information in the TAC classes that I attended. So, I kind of knew this information already.

I was scared when I found out that I had HIV. I was angry at myself because I had been very careful and negative thoughts just occupied my mind.

Remember, I didn’t know anything about living with HIV, but the counselling I received at the clinic gave me better knowledge of the condition and it helped me to understand the need to share my status with my family, so I can live freely and not be scared to take my Impilo [ARVs].

As you know, we live in communities with a lot of stigma. I used to collect my Impilo [ARVs] at the clinic close to my house and I’d see people from my community gossiping about me for being in the queue for people living with chronic conditions. This kind of treatment from the community affected me badly; however, I had to persevere and not stop taking my Impilo [ARVs].

As I continued to take my treatment as instructed by the nurse at the clinic, my viral load began to be under control and then I was offered an opportunity to collect my Impilo [ARVs] through another pick-up point, and I would only have to come to the clinic once a year for a blood test.

When I was told that the virus is under control, I knew that I had achieved my goal and I had to continue adhering to my treatment. For me, this was proof that HIV is controllable and you can live a long and healthy life when you take charge of your health.

You have to love yourself so much that you would never let anything or anyone stop you from being the best version of yourself, despite the circumstances.

When I got back my test results, I thought they were false. I was so disappointed because I’m not an outgoing person.

This was a lesson for me, HIV is not just for extroverts. Anyone can get infected. I thought I would be judged and treated differently by people, but I was wrong.

Accepting that I am now living with HIV was not difficult. I used to work as an HIV counsellor in my community and I knew the importance of sharing my status with close family members and friends.

I know that when you share with people, you remove the heavy burden that sits on your shoulders, and you become free. I wanted to be free. In a way, I also wanted to make it easy for those who are having challenges to get help.

A few months after I started taking my treatment, a nurse at the local clinic told me that my virus was under control and that’s how I got decanted. There was no further explanation provided and the nurse was not friendly, so I had to do my own research and learn more about what it means to have the virus under control.

I've learned that if you take your pill a day the amount of the virus on your body becomes so low that you are protected from passing it to another person.

I was able to reach this stage of my journey by taking my treatment daily.

I got the biggest shock when I found that I had HIV. But because I was leading a church, I thought I could use this new reality to become an example to other people in the congregation. It was easy to share my status with my family and community. Even though they thought that I was joking, they were very understanding and accepting.

My brother died from HIV-related illnesses, and I have cousins that are living with HIV. This situation made me want to take a stand and make a change within my own family and community. Accepting my status and sharing it with people allowed me to make sure that I don’t become like my brother.

To stay on course, I decided to become a part of an organization that provided us with more information about HIV and one day the nurse that ran the program told me that I had a reached a stage where the virus was under control. The news made me so happy, I felt relieved.