Climate change is an HIV story. Here’s how to report it
The article explores the intersection of climate change and public health, specifically how extreme weather events disrupt HIV treatment access in South Africa. It highlights the case of a flood survivor who lost his medication and ID, illustrating the systemic vulnerabilities created by climate-induced disasters.
Why it matters
It demonstrates how climate change acts as a threat multiplier for existing public health crises, potentially reversing decades of progress in disease management.
On 12 April 2022, Mfundo Shezi woke when the skies cracked open and unleashed a merciless deluge over KwaZulu-Natal . The 32-year-old, who usually sleeps in a park in Umbilo in Durban, immediately fled for shelter, abandoning all he owned.
Shezi didn’t have much, but by the time he returned the next morning, he found that the flood had taken all of his possessions. That included his ID and his monthly supply of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment for HIV, which he had been taking faithfully since he started treatment in 2021.
“On that day, I missed a dose for the first time,” he told Bhekisisa . Without taking his HIV medications consistently, he knew he’d get sick.
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