HIV PREVENTION/CARE AND SUPPORT AT THE WORKPLACE: SUCCESS, CHALLENGES AND WAY FORWARD.

Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) and the Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) affect every segment of the society and in recognition of this; the world commemorates World AIDS Day every 1^st December. The day is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection.

Like other challenges in the modern business world, the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS is having an increasingly adverse impact on the operations of many companies and employee households.  This has resulted in increase production cost, reduced profit and greater difficulty delivering products and services.

This is due  to the fact that for very workplace, the most priced resource id its human resource, thus when employees get infected  with HIV in the organization, a lot of productive man hours is lost as a result of employees getting sick leave.

Additionally HIV and AIDS can also have negative psychosocial efforts on employees who are infected or affected by HIV through stigmatization at the workplace. Thus, companies not only have a responsibility to act, but an opportunity to play a crucial role in the fight against the pandemic within the workplace.

Experience from ILO’s global workplace offers a unique entry point for providing access to HIV/STI education and service since workers  can be reached on a regular basis with tailored HIV/STI messages and behaviour change communication(BCC) programmes to address discrimination  and support behaviour change. Implementing workplace HIV programmes is also a reliable source of accurate information for employees.

In Ghana, institutions such as the ministries of education, finance and economic planning, CFAO Ghana LTTD, Shell Ghana, Cadbury Ghana among others have HIV/AIDS workplace policies and provide evidence –based data about what works and what does not work in  responding  to the pandemic at the workplace . Key elements of workplace HIV/AIDS programmes that has helped control the spread of the disease 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 company for prevention and care programmes both within the workplace and surrounding communities and finally a commitment to sustain programmes overtime.

However there has been a general low uptake of workplace HIV/AIDS programmes among companies and institutions in the country. The low uptake is attributed to challenges in availability of funds in the era of global recession. Others also play the ostrich and ignore the disease with the hope that it will not affect their company, that HIV/AIDS affects only certain class or group of people, that infection is due to sinful or immoral behaviour and believe that because sexual relations do not occur in the workplace and the company is “protected” and that a vaccine will soon be found are clearly, options that do not work and may end up costing the company even more.

The way forward is to have a detailed workplace policy that entails

• Clear , non-technical information about HIV/AIDS for all employees, provided regularly and in a variety of formats
• Peer education and peer support ; using trained workers to inform one another about all aspects of HIV/AIDS
• Making condoms available in the workplace and encouraging availability in shops outside the workplace
• Diagnosing and treating STIs at workplace clinics, or encouraging workers to use effective services in the community
• Creating and sustaining an environment for changes in sexual behaviour-especially focused on youth and men with regular incomes, discouraging them from coercing  women or exploiting their poverty
• Voluntary and confidential HIV testing and pre and post –test counseling

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.

The script was written by: Alfred Tsiboe-Darko of KEBA Africa

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

1^st 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.