Ms Nasuna in blue medical uniform checks on Nabosa’s one-month baby during a home visit. PHOTO BY MOSES MUWULYA
BY MOSES MUWULYA
In Summary. Her three children are all HIV negative,with huge hope that the fourth one,a baby,will also emerge negative, thanks to Kitovu Mobile EMTCT Services. This gives her joy that they are saved from the pain of swallowing HIV,which she is braving.
MASAKA. Being born in what she refers to as the ‘unfortunate’ times, “because Prevention of Mother-to- Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) now EMTCT had not been launched”, Joesphine Nabossa could not escape contracting HIV from her mother.
A resident of Binyonyi B,a Masaka Town Suburb, Nabosa has since grown up taking ARVs amidst deep regret because she ‘innocently’ got the virus.
This pitiable situation, fetched her her greatest worries that her children would also go through the same situation.
But through Kitovu Mobile EMTCT services,the 24-year-old has a vivid testimony of Kitovu Mobile EMTCT and HIV Care services in general. Her three children-aged 12,8 and 5,respectively , saved from this lifetime contract,swallowing drugs.
Nabossa poses for a photo with her other children as Ssuuna,the EMTCT focal happily looks on the baby under monitoring.PHOTO BY MOSES MUWULYA
The fourth one,a one-month baby girl,is still under monitoring; with huge hope that she will also escape the scourge and cement her joy.
Ms Nasuna administers Nevirapine syrup which given to HIV exposed infants. Photo By Moses Muwulya.
Ms Florence Ssuna,the Kitovu Mobile EMTCT Focal person and midwife, says she is yet to do the first PCR ,which is done after six months. She is optimistic that the results will be good
Then in Buyoga,where Kitovu Mobile had a center, Naboosa was tested and sent to Uganda Care because at that time,Kitovu Mobile didn’t have regimen for Children with HIV.
She recalls that her grandfather could ride from Buyoga to Uganda Cares in Masaka for refills.
But when she grew up,Nabossa requested for a transfer to start getting her HIV Care and treatment from Kitovu Mobile, because it was hard for her grandfather to ride for refills.
Starting her motherhood journey
In 2007,she got pregnant getting her first child,who because of getting EMTCT services,was saved from getting the virus.
“I have been very careful,adhering to what the health workers tell me and here I am celebrating,thanks to Kitovu Mobile” Nabosa,seated in her single room,separated curtain shares
Nabossa,,whose daily bread is baked from crafting crafts from papyrus, advises HIV expectant mothers to always adhere to drugs,go for Antenatal care ,and health facility delivery.
In this error,Nabosa says , it would be painful to have babies born with HIV and suffer the consequences because of negligence from parents.