MTA: Beyond Just HIV Testing

This past week, I had the pleasure of meeting with the fieldworkers for CMMB’s Men Taking Action (MTA) Program.  As mentioned in my previous post, MTA aims to increase HIV testing by empowering men with health education to encourage their families to get tested and educate them on how to prevent HIV.  The field workers for this program go door-to-door in the rural areas throughout the Eastern Cape offering HIV testing and counseling along with other general health screenings for tuberculosis, STIs, and diabetes.

MTA Field Workers in fromt of CMMB's KWT Office

Can I just say, our field workers are AMAZING!  The program has been running for 4 years and they still approach each day with such enthusiasm and with a commitment to furthering the project.  They are so organized and methodical about making sure they offer services to all the homes in their respective areas. 

What I really love about this project is all the benefits that come with offering HIV testing services in the home.  For one, clinics in these areas are few and far between making it difficult for families to access care.  Furthermore, the stigma surrounding HIV is high and because of this, many choose to not get tested because they don’t want to be seen going into the clinic for any HIV related service.  By giving them the option to test in the privacy of their home it actually increases their likelihood of getting themselves and their families tested.  

Field Worker's Map of the Houses Covered in his Area

Not only does CMMB provide services directly to the client, but also through the course of the MTA program, our field workers have served as a link between our clients and the services they need.  In our meeting last week, one of the field workers Xoliswa, was telling us about a family the she encountered on her daily rounds in Ndevana.  The head of the household was a young woman who had been left to care for her 1 year-old son, 4 of her brothers and sisters, and her grandmother.  The woman was HIV positive but was unable to get her supply of ARVs, her child was ill, and the whole family was suffering from malnutrition.  Seeing the state of the house and family, Xoliswa made appointment for the woman and her son at the clinic for the following day.  There, she was able to get a supply or ARVs, her son was checked out and treated, and the woman met with a social worker to apply social grants to help take care of her family.  

About a month later Xoliswa stopped in to see how the family was doing and was pleased to find them in a much happier and healthier household.  To me, this is just another great example of how willing the field workers are to go above and beyond to make sure that their clients are linked to services beyond the scope of our programs.