VWIRA
| The Vwira HIV/AIDS & TB Community Based Organisation of Luwinga is a grass roots organisation educating people about HIV and TB and helping people infected by and affected by HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. Vwira is the Chitumbumka word for `help'. |
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Luwinga refers to the northern part of Mzuzu, which is the capitol of northern Malawi.
Malawi is an inland country in south-eastern Africa half way between Kenya and South Africa. Luwinga is comprised of 22
villages. Most of the adults are subsistence farmers, though Luwinga also has a soft drink bottling factory and
a tabacco warehouse. Luwinga is also the home of Mzuzu University.
Approximately one in three adults in Luwinga has been infected by the HIV virus. About one in three of the people with HIV who need anti-retroviral medication is getting it; it is donated by industrialised countries. AIDS and TB primarily kill young adults. This leaves orphans, elderly who have no one to support them and a damaged economy as these diseases kill people when they are most economically productive. |