With these words, a poem opens HIV+, a short documentary produced by Johnathan Andrews that offers a message of hope. It shows that people living with HIV can add years to their lives if they manage the disease properly.

HIV+ highlights the efforts of Toga Molecular Biology Laboratory, a South African molecular diagnostics laboratory, in taking its HIV monitoring tests - viral load, CD4 and full blood count as well as chemistry safety testing - to remote communities through "Togatainers". Seven Togatainers consisting of movable, self-contained laboratories housed in shipping containers provide monitoring tests in remote townships and villages across South Africa.

Another eight Togatainers are running within brick buildings.

Through the tests provided by Togatainers, lab technicians can help clinicians determine whether or not someone needs to start taking antiretrovirals. These tests also help to monitor the effects antiretrovirals are having on a person. Togatainers are bringing important services to communities and are helping with the burden on local clinics, which aren't coping with the load of monitoring tests in addition to their other services.

The film's opening words powerfully portray how HIV is about so much more than statistics and media reports; it shows that the illness is about people. The poem gives an idea of the tormenting thoughts that so many with HIV experience. But it also shows that if someone with HIV takes antiretrovirals and lives a healthy lifestyle, an HIV-positive diagnosis doesn't have to be the death sentence it used to be.

Innovative and cost-effective, Togatainers help many people live longer through offering quality services. They are run by the Catholic Church and various NGOs; while some are funded by Toga Laboratories, others are funded by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the US's initiative to combat the global HIV/Aids pandemic.

The film includes footage of Wilfrid Napier, cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and the Archbishop of Durban, who says that when the order of nature is broken and we step outside our boundaries, we face risk and major disorders like HIV/AIDS.

While he speaks well, he could have gone into more detail about the relationship between PEPFAR and the Catholic Church and how they began working together.

HIV+ provides interesting, comprehensive information on the American programme and its Christina Chappel states that in 2003 the organisation agreed to provide $50-billion (about R370-billion) over five years to help countries in need. PEPFAR provides funding for antiretrovirals, testing programmes and the care of orphaned and vulnerable children in Africa, South America, Asia, and the Caribbean, among other services.

Its funding and support is vital in dealing with the devastating effects of HIV and AIDS, a virus that Dr John Sim, who heads Toga Laboratories, describes in the film as being a disease that has tested the fabric of society. He explains that Togatainers are a community laboratory solution that open up access to quality care and make HIV a more manageable disease.

Sim aptly states that the sophistication of Togatainers lies in their simplicity: training, IT, systems and the best of breed technologies combine to provide world-class solutions.

While he puts some important points across, it would have been far more visually appealing if he'd given his views out on the field next to a Togatainer rather than just speaking at length from his office. It would have been great to have some footage of him talking to Togatainer lab technicians or to someone who has used its services.

One of those people is Jane Sophazi. In the film she says that at first she was in denial about her HIV-positive status, refusing to confront it and so became increasingly ill. But since taking antiretrovirals, her health has improved, she feels happy and regularly exercises to keep as healthy as possible.

Sophazi presents strong testimony on the effectiveness of antiretrovirals and Togatainers, but her views would have been strengthened if the film had interviewed more people who had used the facilities. This would have given a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of Togatainers and living with HIV.

In 2006, the British entrepreneur, Richard Branson, launched a clinic with a Togatainer to service communities surrounding his private Ulusaba Game Reserve in Mpumalanga. While there is great footage of Branson next to the clinic, it would have been a lot more interesting if he'd aired his thoughts on the clinic in the film.

As well as being available in South Africa, there are also Togatainers in Malawi and Zambia. This should have been included in the film to show that the facilities are being used as an innovative solution to dealing with HIV/AIDS in other countries, too.

On the whole, HIV + is a good attempt at showcasing Togatainers and their effectiveness in dealing with HIV in resource-constrained settings.