By: Poelano Malema
According to hiv.gov, approximately 38-million people worldwide have HIV or AIDS.
Aidsmap.com reports that South Africa has the largest HIV epidemic in the world, with 7.7-million people currently living with HIV.
Before medication to treat HIV/AIDS was available, millions of lives were lost to the disease. However, since drugs used to treat HIV – antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), have been introduced, many lives have been saved.
The stigma around HIV/AIDS has also reduced as more people are opening up about living with the disease.
Let’s look at celebrities who are living with the disease and those who have dedicated their lives to the fighting the stigma around HIV/AIDS.
READ: Criselda Kananda on changing her surname after divorce: ‘It’s a lot’
Criselda Kananda
South African media personality Criselda Kananda has never shied away from talking about her battles with HIV/ AIDS.
The HIV/AIDS ambassador often shares the importance of working together to end the stigma around HIV/AIDS and to work together to ensure lives are saved.
She has revealed how she was told she has only two years to live after being diagnosed with the disease, but is still alive more than twenty years later.
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Charlie Sheen
American actor Charlie Sheen has been living with HIV/AIDS since 2011. In a 2015 exclusive interview on The Today Show, he revealed that he was diagnosed with the deadly virus four years ago.
The actor also revealed how hard it was to learn his HIV status. He described HIV as a “hard three letters to absorb”.
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Musa ‘Queen’ Njoko
Gospel star Musa Njoko has also been living with HIV for over 20 years.
In a recent tweet, she said she was also given a few months to live but has managed to fight the disease for years.
“He was just under 2yrs when I was diagnosed with HIV. I was given 3 months to live due to my condition then. By the grace of God I’ve lived to see him not only start school but become an international star in his own right now doing an ad for big brandOros,” she tweeted.
He was just under 2yrs when I was diagnosed with HIV. I was given 3 months to live due to my condition then. By the grace of God I’ve lived to see him not only start school but become an international star in his own right now doing an ad for big brandOros https://t.co/c4AcuozsA1
— Musa Njoko (@NjokoMusa) November 28, 2019
Ongina
Actor Ongina is an HIV/AIDS activist. She says that since being diagnosed with HIV, she has been helping others to open up about living with the disease to reduce the stigma.
“It also became an inspiration for others to live out loud about being HIV positive. I’m happy to have helped people come to terms, like I did, with their status,” she told amfAR in 2017.
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Image courtesy of Instagram/ @ Criseldakananda
