The AIDS movement in Mozambique has lost one of its founding and leading activists, Tauzene Murgo, who died on 12 July 2020 in Maputo at the age of 42 years. Throughout his adult life, Mr Murgo advocated for accelerated access to HIV treatment and support for people living with HIV in Mozambique.
Mr Murgo was a founding member and Executive Director of Pyuka hu Hanya, which means “Wake and live” in Changana, a local language in the southern region of Mozambique. Pyuka hu Hanya was established in 2005 with the objective of improving the quality of life of people living with HIV. The organization provides a support network and platform for people living with HIV to build community engagement to improve the quality of health services and to design community-led projects. Pyuka hu Hanya was among the first organizations in Mozambique to offer support to people living with and affected by HIV, specifically mobilizing and linking people to health services.
Mr Murgo was tireless in his efforts to amplify the voices of people living with HIV, championing the greater involvement of people living with HIV in decision-making, monitoring and reporting to ensure that policies and services are responsive to community needs. At a time when HIV treatment was just starting to be available, he was a driving force in addressing issues around stigma and discrimination.
Mr Murgo was close friend of UNAIDS for a long time and an active member of the civil society platform on health and human rights. He collaborated with UNAIDS in raising awareness about the needs of people living with HIV, constantly reminding decision-makers and partners that “health is a right”.
“Mr Murgo was a passionate activist and leader who dedicated his life to ensuring that people living with HIV in Mozambique have access to life-saving HIV treatment,” said Eva Kiwango, UNAIDS Country Director for Mozambique. “He tirelessly advocated for increased funding for organizations of people living with HIV, to scale up community responses to HIV. We share in the sadness and offer condolences to his family and all who knew and loved him. He will be sadly missed.”
