photography by isabel corthier
MALAWI
“When we heard that Lita (25y) tested postive with HIV, the first thing we had to do was learn to accept it.
Lita is my first-born child. She made me a father and defines who I am. When she will be discharged, I will make sure that she doesn’t have to do any heavy household chores. I will provide all the necessary support and love. “
Gerald, Lita’s father
Malawi’s HIV prevalence is one of the highest in the world, with 9.2% of the adult population (aged 15-49) living with this condition which attacks the immune system. HIV is the main cause of mortality in the country.
With a new ‘Circle of care’ model Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) aims to reduce mortality among HIV patients through early detection and strengthening the referral system.
During a 3 weeks assignment for MSF in Nsanje district (where is estimated that 12,5% of the population has HIV), I visited several patients suffering from advanced HIV/AIDS, some of them with opportunistic infections and illnesses like TB and cervical cancer.
I connected with beautiful people like Austin, Grace and Manfred who all struggle to live a full life despite their HIV status.
An assignment for Médecins sans Frontières (MSF).
The photos and videos were used worldwide for the campaign and report: ‘No time to lose’ – Detect, Treat and Prevent AIDS, and was presented at the AIDS conference at ICASA 2019 in Kigali, Rwanda in December 2019.
Click on the images to read the captions.
