From condom packaging that can be opened independently to medication instructions that accommodate visual impairments, people living with disabilities have called for more inclusive HIV prevention services and kinder treatment at healthcare facilities.
For people living with disabilities, accessing healthcare can involve challenges that extend far beyond reaching a hospital or clinic. Sometimes, the biggest obstacle is not the availability of medication or prevention services, but whether they can seek those services without being judged, discriminated against or made to feel that their health needs are less important.
This was among the issues raised by Mandla Methula, who spoke on behalf of people living with disabilities during the official launch of Eswatini’s 2026 World AIDS Day commemorations at Happy Valley Hotel.
In a heartfelt address, Methula challenged government, healthcare workers, manufacturers and other stakeholders to reconsider what access to HIV prevention, testing and treatment means for people with disabilities, pointing to three critical areas requiring attention: accessible prevention products, medication instructions that accommodate different disabilities and respectful treatment within healthcare facilities.
One of his strongest concerns was the stigma experienced by people with disabilities when seeking sexual and reproductive health services.
Methula explained that some people are made to feel uncomfortable when approaching healthcare facilities for assistance with their sexual health, with their disabilities becoming a reason for healthcare workers to question their sexual activity.
A person with a disability should be able to walk into a healthcare facility and request condoms, ask about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) or undergo an HIV test without being subjected to discriminatory questions or judgement.
The experience, he explained, can leave people feeling unwelcome and reluctant to return for assistance. When someone seeking HIV prevention services is made to feel that their sexual activity is inappropriate because of their disability, the result can be avoidance of healthcare facilities, missed opportunities for testing and reduced access to prevention services.
For Methula, access must begin with the understanding that people with disabilities have sexual and reproductive health needs and should be able to address them without having to defend their decisions.
He also directed attention to an often-overlooked aspect of HIV prevention: the design and packaging of condoms.
Appealing directly to manufacturers, suppliers and government, Methula called for condoms to be designed with the different physical abilities of users in mind, particularly people who are blind or those who have limited or no use of their hands.
He warned that using one’s teeth to open condom packaging could tear the condom, potentially compromising its effectiveness and increasing the risk of unintended pregnancy or exposure to sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
Methula's appeal was for manufacturers to move beyond simply making condoms available and consider whether the packaging is practical for everyone expected to use them.
The concern raises an important question for the public health and manufacturing sectors: what is the value of making prevention products available if some of the people who need them cannot independently access or use them?
Methula further highlighted the difficulties faced by people with visual impairments when receiving medication, calling for more accessible medication labelling and dosage instructions.
He explained that a blind patient should be able to identify and understand the medication they have been given, including how many tablets they are expected to take and when they should take them.
He argued that relying entirely on verbal instructions places an unnecessary burden on patients who may need to remember several different details about their medication. Making his point, he said: “Not only am I blind, I’m also human. I have other things going on. I will forget,”
This could include exploring accessible labelling, Braille and other appropriate formats that accommodate different needs. Beyond products and medication, Methula called for healthcare workers to demonstrate greater kindness and understanding when attending to people with disabilities.
He said healthcare facilities should be safe spaces where patients can seek assistance without anxiety about how they will be received or whether their concerns will be treated with respect.
“If I go to the hospital or if I go to the clinic, I should know it’s a safe space for me,” he said.
He cautioned that discriminatory questions and embarrassing interactions can discourage people from returning to healthcare facilities, even when they require essential services.
For people living with disabilities, this means being treated as patients with equal rights to healthcare, rather than having their sexual health needs questioned or dismissed because of their physical conditions.
The concerns raised by Methula were not isolated to the disability community. Representatives from other identified target populations also used the launch platform to highlight the barriers that prevent people from accessing healthcare services.
Representatives from the transport sector and young people, including teenagers, echoed the need for healthcare facilities to become more welcoming environments where individuals can seek HIV-related information, testing and treatment without fear of stigma.
The discussions reinforced the need for healthcare workers to approach patients with professionalism, confidentiality and respect, regardless of their age, occupation or circumstances.
They also brought attention to the importance of ensuring that HIV information and services reach different population groups in ways that respond to their particular needs.
Delivering the keynote address, Minister of Health Mduduzi Matsebula said the 2026 World AIDS Day theme, “Ending AIDS in Eswatini Starts with Access,” was a reminder that the availability of healthcare services does not automatically mean that everyone can access them.
He outlined four dimensions of access: access to services, access to rights and dignity, access to sustainable resources and access to political leadership.
The minister’s address placed the concerns raised by Methula and other representatives within the broader national response to HIV, emphasising that access must be considered beyond the physical availability of services.
The gathering brought together parliamentarians, senior government officials, diplomats, development partners, representatives from different sectors, people living with HIV and members of the media.
A candle-lighting ceremony led by the Minister of Health also provided a moment of remembrance for those who have lost their lives to AIDS and solidarity with people living with HIV.
As Eswatini begins its 2026 World AIDS Day commemorations, the concerns raised by people living with disabilities offer an important perspective on what an inclusive HIV response should look like.
Accessibility must be reflected in the products people use, the medication they receive, the information available to them and, importantly, the way they are treated when they seek healthcare.
For Methula and the community he represented, ending AIDS cannot be separated from the everyday experiences that determine whether someone feels comfortable seeking help.
Ultimately, access is not just about opening the doors of healthcare facilities. It is about ensuring that everyone who walks through those doors is welcomed, accommodated, and treated with dignity.
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