Winstone Zulu
Winstone Zulu was born in 1964 in Lusaka, Zambia, the sixth of thirteen children. After being diagnosed with HIV in 1990, he became the first individual in Zambia to publicly acknowledge his HIV status. In 1997, he contracted TB and, with access to effective medicines and treatment, was cured of the disease within that same year.
| Watch Winstone Zulu's video address at the Oct. 3 TED event in New York City |
Today, two-thirds of all Zambians suffering from tuberculosis are also HIV positive, a deadly combination which cuts one's life span needlessly short.
Winstone knows from experience the devastation this co-epidemic can cause. Tragically, he has watched four of his brothers die from TB as a result of a lack of access to the anti-TB drugs that would have cured them and extended their lives. A full course of treatment of these drugs cost as little as US $20 in most parts of the world.
These experiences have made Winstone one of the preeminent global advocates on the dangers posed by the increasing spread of TB. As one of the few African activists involved in the global health movement on AIDS from its earliest stages, he has been able to recognize the threat that TB poses on the modest successes of HIV/AIDS control.
Nelson Mandela said of Winstone, "There have been so few TB survivors who have stepped forward to share their stories. We need more advocates like Winstone to tell the world about TB and the effect it has on so many millions of people."
“TB treatment gives patients more time. If my brothers had survived TB they might have lived long enough to access HIV drugs like me. They shouldn’t have died.” -Winstone Zulu
Speaking at numerous international conferences and events, Winstone sounds the alarm on the links between HIV/AIDS and TB and advocates for increased financial resources and improved programs to combat TB and TB-HIV. During recent trips to Japan, Winstone has garnered over a dozen media hits, including several front page articles in major outlets, particularly around his meetings with the then Prime Minister of Japan and the current Deputy Prime Minister.
Winstone's experiences and actions make him a leader in TB advocacy and speak volumes to the social attention and political will that can be generated by just one individual using his voice.
