My Wife is HIV-Positive and I am Here to Support Her

Musa Oloo, sits across the bench at Magina Health Center in Homa Bay County, Kenya, surrounded by women and nursing children. He is 72 years old; many years ago, a car accident left him an amputee. Amid the chatter of the women, he sits calmly next to his wife.

He stands out as the only man attending a support group for mothers who are HIV-positive — a meeting held monthly in this facility. He tries to hold a young toddler on his lap; the child fidgets restlessly to be put on the floor. His age notwithstanding, his physical disability makes it hard for him to sit for long hours – but he is determined to sit through to the end of the meeting.

“My wife is HIV-positive, and I am here to support her,” he says.

Musa is a farmer. His wife is 28 years old, Linet Oloo, and they have two children. Linet and her children have successfully gone through the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV intervention.

Both of Musa’s children are girls. Their first daughter is 4 years old. The younger one (just one year old), they have carried along to the meeting is one and a half years old.

Effie Awuor, the PMTCT nurse counsellor at Magina Health Center expresses her admiration for the couple. “Musa comes with the wife for every visit,” she says.

At one time Awuor noticed that Musa’s wife was failing in treatment and paid the couple a home visit.

“She couldn’t remember the time for taking her drugs but the husband has taken the initiative of reminding her.”

Musa is not deterred by the lack of men in these meetings.

“The other women say they ask their husbands to accompany them but no man one is here today,” said Musa, “I come so that I hear what my wife is told and so that I can also educate myself on how to take care of her and the children.”

I come so that I hear what my wife is told and so that I can also educate myself on how to take care of her and the children. Musa Oloo

Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) through the county government supports Magina Health facility in many ways, such as:  human resource strengthening peer educators, linkage officers, HIV testing and counselling providers, treatment adherence counsellors, cough monitors, clinical officers and health records officers have been hired. Through lab networking, EGPAF also facilitates lab specimen transportation and holds meetings for quality improvement and data review.

At the meeting that Musa attends with his wife, EGPAF’s support ensures there are refreshments like milk, bread and soda during the meetings. Cereals like fortified blended flour and peanut butter are given to clients in need of nutritional support.

As Musa leaves the meeting with his wife, he is hopeful that more men will turn up to support their wives in the next meetings.