South Africa has one the fastest expanding epidemics of HIV infection in the world. HIV infection affects predominantly young adults who form the bulk of the formally employed workforce. The workplace therefore offers an important opportunity to implement HIV education and health promotion programmes aimed at reducing transmission of the HIV and reducing the incidence of AIDS.
However, many employers see the problem of HIV infection as the responsibility of the government. In the current economic climate, attempts to introduce HIV education at the workplace are seen as simply another cost to production, and employers are generally loath to support health interventions that cannot demonstrate a direct benefit to the company.
In this context, consider the present case study, which addresses the problem of HIV at the workplace.