Moses “Supercharger” Nsubuga, a musician and radio host in Uganda, has been living with HIV since 1994. “I lived in denial for four years and did not want anyone to know that I had HIV”, he says. He points out that given the nature of his work, admitting his status meant risking the loss of his audience and being stigmatized. “However, living in denial didn’t help me at all. I fell sick, became weak, lost weight and could barely work”, he says.

In 1998, Moses sought out The AIDS Support Organization (TASO) for help after falling gravely ill. Once he started treatment, his health improved significantly. “There was a noteworthy improvement in my health; I became the “Supercharger” everyone always knew. I was able to return to the studio to make more music and do my show,” he adds.

However, the treatment was expensive and Moses tried to take the drugs sparingly so as to cut down on costs. His health declined once again, and he thought that he was about to die. Fortunately, Moses was able to access second-line drugs, which helped him regain his health once again, although they caused side effects that were even more severe than those he had experienced under the first regimen. “If I had known, I would have observed the prescription as it had been given to me. The second line of drugs was less friendly than the first but it worked”, he says, and he has not missed a dose since 2000.

As a public figure and an HIV advocate, Moses continues to use his platform to reach out to the community and encourage everyone to know their status. He says, “Honestly I cannot accept a job that does not involve me working with the community to push positive messages about HIV and AIDS.”