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AIDS
Drug Adherence Support Workers Make a Difference in Zambia
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Daniel
Ngoshe (right) counsels Alex Chipoya, a 46-year-old widower with
five children on the importance of drug adherence at Mahatma Gandhi
Health Center in Kabwe, Zambia. (PHOTO: Malekiado
Phiri/ZPCT)
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Thirty-six
year old Daniel Ngoshe, a father of six children, was jobless when he
discovered he was infected with HIV. But his life dramatically changed
when he went on anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and was disciplined about
his drug regimen.
The
free anti-retroviral therapy in Zambia – as in other countries –
is effective only if patients like Daniel take the life-extending medications
correctly. Taking drugs at the wrong time of the day or at the wrong dosage
can result in drug resistance, placing the life of those on ART at serious
risk. For this reason, the Zambia Prevention, Care and Treatment Partnership
(ZPCT) started a project in 2006 to ensure that as more Zambians are able
to begin ART, they are supported to take the drugs correctly and seek
regular follow-up care.
Daniel
was one of 171 others who attended the Adherence Support Workers training
held by ZPCT with funding from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan
for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through USAID. This training targeted people
who were living openly with HIV and taking antiretroviral drugs.
Daniel
learned simple acts of accountability and basic facts about the HIV epidemic,
HIV counseling and testing, ways to live positively, and barriers to drug
adherence. His new knowledge gave him the confidence to take his first
CD4 test, a gauge of the immune system’s ability to fight opportunistic
infections. After just a few months on ART, Daniel’s CD4 count soared
from a low 94 to 200. He quickly gained weight, and when he felt healthy
and strong enough, he took a course on metal fabrication, hoping it will
land him a job. Then he could support his family and send his kids to
school.
Now
an active Adherence Support Worker, Daniel reflects, “When I started
taking the drugs my strength increased, which allowed me to do some work
at home, in the community, and at the health clinic.”
Daniel
beams with pride when he sees clients he has counseled at Mahatma Gandhi
Health Center in Kabwe who are careful about taking their ARVs every day,
adhering to their essential drug treatment and living healthier lives.
Daniel is one of the 172 Adherence Support Workers who continue to reach
over 8,000 clients, helping to ensure the health and livelihood of his
community.
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