Johannesburg – Veteran broadcaster and social activist Criselda Kananda has shared a deeply personal account of her journey living with HIV, marking World AIDS Day with a powerful message of resilience and hope.
In a moving reflection, Ms Kananda recounted the devastating news she received decades ago – a diagnosis that doctors predicted would end her life within two years.
"I look back in complete gratitude for what the Lord has done in my life," she shared. "Today, I mourn the deaths of millions of people who passed believing that being diagnosed with HIV infection is a death sentence, those failed by their unfaithful partners, failed by systematic exclusion to a holistic approach towards the management and treatment of an immune deficiency disease.”
Ms Kananda's narrative extends beyond the medical realities of living with HIV. She candidly discussed the impact of "umjolo" – infidelity – and the profound sense of betrayal she experienced. This emotional trauma, she explained, significantly weakened her immune system, leading to a series of health challenges including post-traumatic disorder, hospitalisation in the Intensive Care Unit, and the need to prevent potential exposure to post-Covid complications.
The decision to begin antiretroviral therapy (ARVs) brought its own set of complexities. "It’s been three years that tested all my theories about HIV medication," she explained.
"It is what it is. I am still here, strong and closest to healthy. Grateful for life, family and genuine friends, loving my career progression and future prospects." Unexpectedly, the ARVs triggered diabetes, adding another layer to her health battle.
Despite the numerous challenges she has faced, Ms Kananda’s message is one of unwavering self-love and determination.
"Though not easy, every day I choose to love myself unconditionally, I show up as the best version of myself, I teach people how I want to be treated, I honour myself and all my achievements," she stated.
Beyond her personal journey, Ms Kananda used this opportunity to address widespread misconceptions surrounding HIV and AIDS. She passionately urged the public to focus on factual information, stressing the crucial distinction between HIV and AIDS. "Amongst all that, the former radio personality urged the public to once again invest in facts about the infection and stop saying HIV/AIDS simply because HIV is not AIDS," she said.
She clarified the often-blurred lines between the two, stating, "They don’t say hypertension or stroke. HIV is a germ that weakens the body and AIDS is any illness that takes advantage of the weak body and makes the body sick. Most of the AIDS-related illnesses can be cured. TB, some cancers, pneumonia, diarrhoea, meningitis, bacterial and fungal infections and some that are incurable but treatable, like diabetes, shingles and other viral infections like herpes."
Ms Kananda also challenged the common belief that ARVs alone provide an easy path to living with HIV. "The biggest lie continues to be that ARVs alone make living with HIV easier. This is further from the truth," she asserted.
"I’m grateful to having started ARVs at a time when scientists became more ethical and truly invested in treating a viral infection without causing further damage.”
