A Few Words from Concillia of The Lazarus Effect Film

My name is Concillia Muhau and my story, and those of three of my countrymen, is depicted in the film The Lazarus Effect, which was produced by (RED) and re-aired on HBO on December 1, World AIDS Day.

In the six months since the film originally aired on HBO, my life has continued to change for the better. I am now a peer educator at the Kanyama Clinic, I’m training at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, and my four year old daughter Natasha continues to thrive in school. This is all great news, but things might have been very different if I had not had access to lifesaving treatment which keeps my disease at bay and prevented the transmission of HIV to Natasha during childbirth. Because of funding by organizations like the Global Fund, PEPFAR and (RED), HIV positive people like me now have access to medication and a chance at life and babies in Zambia and many other countries are increasingly less likely to be born HIV positive.

My story is not so different from many others in Africa. I began taking antiretroviral medication about six years ago and while I was blessed to receive the drugs, I didn't realize I would need to take them for the rest of my life. After I felt strong again, I thought, "I feel better, so why should I continue taking the pills?" After some time I became so sick that I was close to death, which you can see in the film. I realized that I had to take the ARVs again, this time knowing that they will keep me alive if I commit to taking them every day for the rest of my life. Now, I feel like I've been given another chance to be able to take care of my beautiful daughter.

One young woman who was not as fortunate was Bwalya Liteta, who, along with me, shared her story in The Lazarus Effect film. She passed away in August at the age of 12 from AIDS complications. Bwalya had lost both her parents and she, like me, had battled back from near death with the help of medication. The most powerful message that we can take away from Bwalya’s death is the importance of giving our children a fighting chance at birth and making sure they are not born with HIV.

The good news is that this is very possible. Today, almost half of the HIV positive pregnant women who need treatment to prevent transmission of HIV to their babies receive it. Within five years, we can reach 100% of women who need this treatment. That means that by 2015, we can have a whole generation of babies born free of this disease and reach one of the most important milestones in the fight against AIDS.

I have been blessed with the healthy daughter and I hope that we will all stand together to make this dream a reality for all mothers who are living with HIV.
- Concillia Muhau

Watch The Lazarus Effect here and a recent update on the individuals featured in the film here.