In the nations of sub-Saharan Africa, HIV/AIDS is the second leading cause of death in young people.  

Among them is a unique group: young health-care workers who are living with HIV/AIDS themselves while treating others with the same disease.

They are the focus of Zola Ncube's research, a Western alum who recently pursued post-graduate studies in the Faculty of Health Sciences. “So, really, these workers are supporting their peers. They’re living with the stigma of being a young person with HIV, but then they’re also living with the burden of being a frontline health-care worker,” Zola says.

“They are delivering the care and doing what needs to be done no matter how difficult it is. But they are underappreciated. They face multiple layers of invisibility. They have inadequate resources, information and tools.”

Zola and her colleagues found a way to ease the burden on these health-care workers by bringing their stories to light. They created a book that visually presents their research findings, making it easier for others to grasp the challenges these workers face.

“We want people who wouldn’t normally read an academic article to better understand these important stories.”

And with the telling of these stories, Zola hopes the plight of the workers – and many others – will be improved.  

“What would it look like if we were able to fund better mental health programming for this population? Not just for the frontline health-care workers, but also for the adolescents and children who are receiving that care.”

Born in Zimbabwe, Zola moved to London, Ont., with her family when she was a little girl. Her mother, a long-time advocate for HIV/AIDS, inspired Zola to contribute. When she was in high school, she took on a volunteer role that would begin the journey she continues today.  

“I started volunteering and doing community work with an HIV/AIDS organization. I led programming and events which really allowed me to gain an understanding of the HIV/AIDS landscape here in Canada and around the world.”

With that volunteer experience and deep understanding of the challenges health-care workers face in sub-Saharan Africa, she is passionate about the power of storytelling to change perceptions of those living with HIV/AIDS.  

“I hope we can shift attitudes around HIV/AIDS and eliminate stigma and discrimination. We can’t continue to treat somebody differently just because of their health status, whether it’s in sub-Saharan Africa or here in London. I see myself telling stories like these forever.”