Laraba

In Kano, Laraba (not his real name), 26, a volunteer at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), is one of the lucky ones who have cause to be grateful for PEPFAR intervention in mitigating HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. She started accessing HIV medications two years ago at the AKTH after a VCT confirmed that she has HIV. “Before I came to AKTH I was always vomiting and having diarrhea and being treated with all sorts of traditional and modern medicines that did not solve my problem. I went to a hospital in Kano and I was told after a test that I have HIV. But on getting to know through a radio program that there is free drugs for people living with the virus. I was quickly brought here. And since then my story has changed for good.” Laraba for the first time in her moment of affliction slept well after taking the first dose of ARV. Laraba’s viral load in March 2007 was 23,000 copies/ml, now it is undetectable.