By Bella DiFilippo*
KITWE, Zambia—Miriam was three months pregnant when she was diagnosed with HIV. A local health clinic directed her to Bwafwano Care Providers to receive consistent counseling, nutritional support, and antiretroviral medication. Community health workers from Bwafwano Care Providers visited Miriam and through consistent follow-up, she gave birth to a healthy baby. Today, Miriam’s two children, ages three and four, are both HIV-free.
Grateful for Bwafwano Care Providers, Miriam now serves as a community health worker, sharing her story with other HIV-positive pregnant mothers as an advocate for health.
Preventing HIV in Zambia
More than 1 million people in Zambia are living with HIV. Many received the virus through mother-to-child transmission. Among the leading causes of infection, mother-to-child transmission can be prevented. The Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) initiative provides drugs, counseling, and psychological support for mothers through their pregnancy, labor, delivery, and breastfeeding.
Through Global Ministries’ funding support, Bwafwano Care Providers carries out PMTCT projects and supports training workshops for community health workers. These projects focus in two high-risk neighborhoods here. Since the program started, more than 400 mothers have accessed preventative treatment services through visits from community health workers, who play a vital role in sharing health information within their communities.
Through Global Ministries’ funding support, Bwafwano Care Providers carries out PMTCT projects and supports training workshops for community health workers. These projects focus in two high-risk neighborhoods here. Since the program started, more than 400 mothers have accessed preventative treatment services through visits from community health workers, who play a vital role in sharing health information within their communities.
