The Bible, in the book of Job, reminds us that human life is short and filled with challenges. While death is inevitable, we must still make deliberate efforts to protect our health and live longer, healthier lives, regardless of the circumstances we face.
Too many people have died prematurely because they delayed seeking medical attention, ignored warning signs or relied on explanations that prevented them from accessing appropriate treatment.
For generations, witches and witchcraft have been blamed for unexplained illnesses and deaths. But many conditions that were once attributed to supernatural causes have medical explanations and can be prevented or treated when diagnosed early.
One such disease is tuberculosis (TB), a particularly serious threat to people living with HIV.
I am not a medical expert. However, after many years of living with HIV and having personally battled TB, I have learnt a great deal about the disease. My experience has also allowed me to witness the suffering of other people living with HIV who have developed TB.
I therefore write not as a doctor, but as someone who has experienced TB first-hand and wants others to recognise its warning signs and seek medical help early.
My encounter with TB
In 1999, I became seriously ill with what was eventually diagnosed as TB. I was moved from one medical facility to another because many people, including those around me, initially suspected that I had malaria or had been bewitched.
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What helped me was my own reluctance to attribute my illness to witchcraft. I insisted on going to a hospital rather than relying solely on traditional or faith-based explanations.
As my condition deteriorated, I began to suspect that I had TB because I had read about the disease and recognised several of its symptoms.
That experience taught me an important lesson: we need to understand our bodies and take unusual changes in our health seriously.
TB does not always announce itself dramatically. Symptoms can develop gradually and may initially resemble other illnesses.
A person may experience fever, night sweats, loss of appetite, weight loss, tiredness, weakness and a persistent cough, although symptoms can vary depending on where TB occurs in the body.
For someone living with HIV, delayed diagnosis can be particularly dangerous because HIV weakens the immune system and increases the risk of developing TB.
As the illness progresses, loss of appetite and weight can be accompanied by increasing weakness. In severe cases, a person may become so debilitated that they struggle to walk or even get out of bed.
That is a situation nobody should allow to develop before seeking medical attention.
When a sick person becomes too weak to make decisions or communicate effectively, they become increasingly dependent on relatives and caregivers to make important decisions about their treatment.
Do not mistake illness for witchcraft
One of the greatest dangers surrounding TB and other illnesses is the delay caused when people attribute their symptoms to witchcraft or other supernatural causes.
I have watched people waste away while those around them believed that someone had bewitched them.
Such beliefs can have tragic consequences when they delay diagnosis and treatment.
Traditional beliefs and religion may be important to many people, but they should not prevent anyone from seeking medical care. Prayer and spiritual support can coexist with professional medical treatment.
We must also stop blaming other people for illnesses before establishing the medical cause.
The greatest responsibility we have is to take our own health seriously.
People with a history of TB must remain vigilant
Having suffered from TB before has made me particularly conscious of the need for vigilance.
People who have previously had TB should pay close attention to recurring symptoms and seek medical attention when they suspect that something is wrong. A previous history of TB does not mean that every subsequent illness is TB, but it does make it especially important to seek professional assessment rather than self-diagnosing.
It is also important to correct a common misconception: recurrent or more serious TB is not automatically drug-resistant TB. Drug resistance has to be confirmed through appropriate medical testing.
The good news is that TB is preventable and curable in most cases when diagnosed and treated appropriately. However, treatment must be completed exactly as prescribed. Stopping treatment prematurely can contribute to drug resistance and make the disease much harder to treat.
HIV and TB require a combined response
For people living with HIV, TB prevention, screening and treatment should form part of routine healthcare.
Anyone living with HIV who develops symptoms that could indicate TB should seek medical attention promptly. Health facilities can assess patients and conduct appropriate tests to determine whether TB is present.
People living with HIV should also follow their HIV treatment carefully and maintain regular contact with healthcare providers.
The fight against HIV cannot be separated from the fight against TB. The two diseases have long been closely linked, and TB remains an important cause of illness and death among people living with HIV.
We must talk about TB
I strongly believe that more needs to be done to educate communities about TB, particularly among people living with HIV and those who have previously suffered from the disease.
Some deaths that are currently attributed to other causes may require closer medical investigation. Rather than speculating, however, we need proper medical research, diagnosis and reliable data to establish the causes of illness and death.
My message is simple: do not wait until you are too weak to walk before seeking medical help.
Do not allow stigma, fear or superstition to stand between you and treatment.
Know your body. Pay attention to persistent changes. Get tested when advised. Take your medication correctly. And encourage those around you to seek medical attention when they become ill.
TB may be a silent and devastating disease, particularly for people living with HIV, but early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can save lives.
Your health is your responsibility. Take it seriously.
