Importance of Workplace HIV/AIDS Policy in the fight against HIV/AIDS pandemic
NEWS COMMENTARY (GBC) IMPORTANCE OF WORKPLACE HIV/AIDS POLICY IN THE FIGHT AGAINST HIV/AIDS PANDEMIC
1st December every year is observed as World AIDS Day. The theme for this year is “Getting to Zero-Zero infections, Zero Discrimination and Zero AIDS Related Deaths. Like other challenges in the contemporary business world HIV/AIDS is a factor that companies must now reckon with in their planning operations.
The rapid spread of HIV/AIDS is having an increasingly adverse impact on the operations of many companies and employee households.
Whether a company operates in a low-prevalence country or a High-prevalence country, HIV/AIDS is now a factor that affects all managers, workers’ representatives and employees. HIV/AIDS also affects human resources management, employee welfare, operation efficiency and customer relations.
Many companies recognize the HIV/AIDS epidemic as a serious threat to productivity and profitability. Workplace HIV/AIDS provides practical steps for prevention and care programs that serve both employee and managers. Companies Human Resources Managers, Medical Officers and Union Representatives are the key personnel to developing and implementing workplace prevention and care programs.
Implementing workplace HIV/AIDS program has been proven to be the only source of accurate information employees have about HIV/AIDS.
Companies not only have a responsibility to act, but an opportunity to play a crucial role in global fight against the epidemic, particularly within their own workplaces. Companies who forge partnership tackle HIV/AIDS menace faster and more effectively than anyone else and it is in their own interest as well as those of the society as a whole.
Company leadership engaging in HIV/AIDS sensitization, providing counseling and testing, condom distribution access to care and treatment sends a strong message to governments and other sectors. In addition, companies have an unparalleled opportunity to tackle head on the stigma and discrimination that enabled the virus to spread, often unchecked, over the last twenty five years.
HIV /AIDS education programs inform employees at the workplace and seek to motivate behaviour change that will reduce the spread of the epidemic. Organizations formal and informal HIV/AIDS education activities are the base upon which other aspects of prevention programs are built. Best practices abound in institutions such as the Ministries of Education, Finance and Economic Planning; Shell Ghana Limited and CFAO, among others with excellent HIV/AIDS workplace policy which provides unequivocal evidence.
Key elements of workplace HIV/AIDS programmes that has helped control the spread of the disease among these companies has been conspicuous leadership which entails willingness by senior managers and board of directors to speak out on HIV/AIDS prevention and care regularly and frankly at the workplace. Support for responsible sexual behaviour among employees. Support for appropriate policies to address HIV/AIDS related situations that may arise at the workplace. Moral, financial and resource support by the companies for prevention and care programmes both within the workplace and surrounding communities and finally a commitment to sustain programmes overtime.
Companies assuming that prevention programs are too expensive and a drain on company’s finances, that a vaccine will soon be found, that HIV/AIDS affects only a certain class or group of people, that it is someone else’s problem, that infections is due to sinful or immoral behaviour, ignoring the disease and hoping it will simply go away, believing that because sexual relations do not occur in the workplace and the company is “protected”, are but grave assumptions at the peril of the company.
Many companies hesitate to undertake an HIV/AIDS program because they believe they do not have the needed funds and expertise. Fortunately, numerous organizations now have the skills and experience in one or more components of workplace programs. Many of these organizations are willing to partner with companies to design a workplace program, train and support staff, provide medical commodities and access program effectiveness. Company managers can contact such groups and negotiate an acceptable agreement for delivery services. Examples of groups that can assist companies are NGOs: These groups often have the most cost effective strategies and direct experience in designing and implementing HIV/AIDS prevention and care programs. Thus we, have a solid basis on which to build new workplace HIV/AIDS programs or to expand existing ones.
