Nozi's Story: Preventing Mother-to-Child HIV/AIDS Transmission

Nozi came to mothers2mothers for support when she was pregnant and learned her HIV status. Her son, Konye, was born HIV-negative.

Nozi cares for a client’s newborn. Nozi began her association with mothers2mothers as a client and eventually became a Mentor Mother. Through hard work and dedication, Nozi was promoted to Site Coordinator in 2005. She represents mothers2mothers as the direct liaison with the Health Center’s nurses, doctors and sister in charge. She is a respected, paid member of the health care team, and one of nearly 1,500 HIV-positive field staff that give life to the mothers2mothers program in seven countries. Nozi and her Mentor Mother and Site Coordinator colleagues are role models in their communities, destigmatizing HIV/AIDS and empowering HIV-positive women.

Nozi, an educated, trained professional, is a compassionate partner for her clients. She has gone through the PMTCT process and as an HIV-positive woman who gave birth to a HIV-negative son, provides reassurance and support as she shares her story of overcoming stigma and the fear that she would transmit the virus to her baby. She is a crucial role model, providing an empathetic and powerful example of “living positively” for newly diagnosed pregnant women.

By providing education and support, Nozi gives HIV-positive mothers the tools to make healthy choices for themselves and their child. Most women feel that an HIV diagnosis is a death sentence. By partnering with mothers2mothers, women learn to dream and have hope for the future. On a daily basis, Nozi exemplifies the mothers2mothers philosophy, “Helping Mothers, Saving Babies.”

Nozi demonstrates the proper dosage amount for a new mother, who will be administering crucial medicines to her newborn. Up to 25 percent of children born to HIV-positive mothers will acquire the virus, but with a small dose of preventative medicines, proper feeding techniques and education, less than two percent of babies will become infected. Everyday, Nozi works toward a world where no baby is born with HIV.

Nozi welcomes her client’s newborn into the world. The baby’s mother has been given instructions to have the child tested for HIV at six weeks, the earliest opportunity to detect the virus. Getting a child tested is an important step for an HIV-positive mother to see if the PMTCT process has been successful and to seek further treatment if necessary. Because this baby’s mother has partnered with mothers2mothers and is learning how to protect her baby, this child will most likely be HIV-free.

Nozi discusses the latest test results with an expecting mother. Crucial to a mother’s health is knowing her CD4 count, which is a measure of how the mother’s immune system is holding up against the HIV virus. A high CD4 count is the goal. By monitoring her CD4 count, this mother knows when to access antiretroviral treatment and is empowered in her general health. Often in overburdened health care systems, the opportunity for a full discussion of test results and an explanation of implications are hastily completed. Nozi fills the gap between diagnosis and treatment, making sure her clients understand the information and are able to make healthy choices.

Nozi greets the one-day old son of a client at the Khayelitsha, Cape Town site in South Africa. Nozi and her team of Mentor Mothers conduct daily group and one-on-one discussions covering such topics as proper nutrition, family planning, safer sex methods, disclosure techniques, grief management and proper antiretroviral adherence and strategies.

Nozi leads a group discussion explaining the use of nevirapine, an anti-HIV drug. Health workers around the world administer nevirapine to pregnant women, typically providing a single pill to be taken when labor begins and administering single doses of liquid nevirapine in the baby’s mouth after birth. This treatment has been shown to decrease the risk of prenatal HIV infection by half. The drug is a cornerstone of antiretroviral treatment for HIV-positive women in Africa because it is simple, inexpensive and effective.

A special moment for Nozi and her baby, Konye.