12 Dec 2008 | Article

Sylvia Khuzwayo, an 'expert patient' who has volunteered at the Mbabane Government Hospital-based Voluntary Counselling and Testing services (VCT) in Swaziland for five years, believes she has made a huge impact in encouraging treatment adherence in patients, as well as encouraging people to test for HIV.

 

Mumcy is one of the expert patients that helps to treat HIV/AIDS and encourages people to be screened in Swaziland. Photo: Jonathan Heyer

While MSF is promoting decentralisation of medical care through task shifting from doctors and nurses to expert patients, the Ministry of Health & Social Welfare suggests this will result in a decline in the quality of healthcare. However, Sylvia, an outspoken mother of three and grandmother of two who lives positively with HIV, believes she is in a better position to counsel and reassure the patient as somebody who is going through similar experiences.

 

“People get motivated by listening to someone who openly declares their HIV status and is living a positive life because this person becomes a role model, thus making others see that one can live a positive, fruitful life with HIV.”

 

“In my opinion, using 'expert patients' is very effective because there is better understanding between us and patients because we are both in the same boat,” she explains. Sylvia is proud of the fact that of all the people she has counseled, who tested HIV positive, none have ever come out crying. She attributes this to the fact that she shares practical experience with them and makes them feel there is life after testing HIV positive.