- Eméfah Loccoh (middle, white dress) poses with Hope Through Health staff after completing her Fulbright study in Togo.
Recent University of Michigan graduate and Togo Fulbright Scholar Eméfah Loccoh has just wrapped up her study on facilitating factors in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV. The study, which Ms. Loccoh intends to publish, includes Hope Through Health patients.
“The work [of preventing mother-to-child transmission] is so hard,” Ms. Loccoh said. “My initials findings show that what makes Hope Through Health successful is its ability to create a community out of individual patients.” In the face of widespread stigma, Hope Through Health creates a welcoming environment for people living with HIV/AIDS by engaging the HIV community in all steps of the process, including employing them as staff. More than half of Hope Through Health staff members are HIV-positive. “Being able to receive continuous support from both compassionate clinicians and peers in the HIV community really encourages women to follow all of the treatment guidelines. Hope Through Health is making a big difference,” Ms. Loccoh remarked in a farewell ceremony this afternoon. Hope Through Health wishes Eméfah well in all of her future endeavors. Eméfah, we look forward to seeing you again back in Togo soon and to seeing the positive changes your study is sure to make in mother-to-child transmission programs in Togo and throughout Africa!