Accra Polytechnic Workplace Project
BACKGROUND
In 2008, Accra polytechnic sort funding to develop an HIV/AIDS workplace policy. The need to develop, an HIV/AIDS policy was due to the following reasons:
- The HIV epidemic has a tremendous impact on morbidity and mortality in the workplace.
- Employees and students stand a great chance of becoming HIV positive.
- Indirect costs of HIV to Accra Polytechnic such as staff illness, loss of institutional expertise, recruitment cost and cost of re-training if not offered the opportunity to protect themselves.
- In addition, a practical financial reason makes it imperative for Accra Polytechnic to develop an HIV/AIDS policy.
Consequently, a workplace policy development tender was opened in 2009 and contract awarded in May 2010 to KEBA AFRICA.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT
The overall goal of the project is to mitigate the impact of HIV at Accra Polytechnic, prevent unfair discrimination at work on the basis of employees HIV status and promote a stigma and discrimination working environment.
The objectives of the project are as follows:
- To develop workplace HIV/AIDS policy document for Accra Polytechnic
- To reduce HIV risk behavior among staff and students of Accra Polytechnic
- To organize seminars and workshops to introduce the policy to the polytechnic community.
- To provide guidelines for recruiting and managing of staff and students who are HIV+
ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN SO FAR
So far a KAPB baseline study has been conducted from the 7th to the 21st of June 2010. Both secondary and primary data has be used with the former gathered from ILO, Ministry of Education HIV secretariat, World Bank, UNDP, UNAIDS, Ghana AIDS Commission, NACP and other development partners. Questionnaires were used to collect the quantitative data for the baseline study.
PHOTOS
Ghana AIDS Commission M-SHAP
The main purpose of this project is to create greater empowerment of female PHAs so these women become agents of change and create healthier, more fulfilling lives. This will be done through meeting the following objectives:
To provide care and support for 30 female PLWHAs for 12 months
To build the leadership capacity of 30 female PLWHAs for 12 months
To empower 30 PLWHAs economically through income generating activities for 12 months
Provide psychosocial counselling for 30 female PLWHAs for 12 months
The PLHIV Support Group
The goal of the project is to encourage and assist PLWHAs with obtaining financial means for supporting themselves as well as creating a source of income for the PLA. Due to sickness and stigmatization it is often difficult for people living with HIV to earn a living, the support group gives members the opportunity to be self-sufficient.
