Casestudy: Oliver Liseli

All my children are HIV positive

Oliver is forty four, married to his third wife and has six children. He divorced his first wife. He ran away from his second wife because he initially thought he was being bewitched but eventually discovered it was actually HIV. He moved to Livingstone and stayed there for three years but when he returned home, he still had the same health problems - a rash all over his body and constant coughing. He was tested for TB, but it proved to be negative. HIV tests were not done at this time.

Oliver spent considerable amounts of money visiting witch doctors in search of a cure. He was a business man and eventually realised the problem was being bewitched. He was treated by a traditional healer for his rash, but almost died. Eventually he recovered and married his third wife, with whom he has been since. His second wife met someone else, but after a few years, she died.

Oliver obtained some information about HIV, and felt he might have the virus but was told that if he tested positive, he might die of depression, so he avoided being tested. He then began to realise that his ill health was out of control, so he eventually went for VCT in 2004 and tested positive. He had to travel to Mongu to get the drugs because at that time there were no drugs in Senanga where he lived. The drugs cost him K40,000 as they were not free at that stage. For Oliver, finding out he was HIV positive was a solution. He was relieved as he looked forward to being well again.

When he married his third wife, Oliver did not yet know his status. Four months after his marriage, he began getting sick again and was brought to hospital in Senanga for a month. He stayed with his wife until 2004 when he was tested. At that time his wife was pregnant, but when she gave birth, they lost the baby. When he was found to be positive, Oliver was too weak to get to Mongu to buy drugs and could not afford to get there either. His father had to sell a cow in order to pay for the medication. So in September 2004 he started ARVs, but was bedridden and almost died. However, eventually he responded well to the treatment.

Oliver decided to come into the open about his status so he could help his friends and family because he could see people around him who were very sick and wanted to help them and provide information. This is why he started a support group.

When he found out his status, his wife went for testing and tested positive. She started taking drugs, but did not respond well to the treatment. She is now on the second line of treatment but is still not responding. She is on tuberculosis (TB) drugs, and she also has a pelvic infection also.

Oliver says he became infected from being ‘too playful' – from multiple partners.

ARVs are not a cure, he says, but can sustain health in your body. ‘You can remain healthy if you are taking them correctly, if you respond well'. As soon as he began taking ARVs, he began to feel better. Oliver thinks women are more vulnerable to HIV, due to poverty. Some women have no source of income, so have to engage in sexual activity. Women are also more vulnerable because they cannot negotiate condom use. According to Oliver, women need to be empowered socially and economically.

All of Oliver's children are HIV positive and he argues that people are dying due to lack of proper information on HIV and AIDS, and it is difficult for people to access treatment in the district. There is only one CD4 count machine in Senanga and Sesheke District. It breaks down a lot, and some people have to wait months for tests. More ART is also needed and while ARVs are free, for some people they are not because they have to travel, pay for food and accommodation, etc. There are over five hundred people in Senanga district who have defaulted on their medication because of the distance they have to travel. Although we are addressing HIV, in another way we are promoting it, because people stop the treatment and engage in further sexual activity.