Module 5: HIV/AIDS Issues: What are the next steps?

CRITICAL CONSIDERATIONS:

• Without a passionate driver, nothing will be done.
• Leadership can come from many areas of your business.

Two areas need to be addressed:

1. Minimise risk to your organisation.
2. Manage the problem to reduce negative impacts on the organisation.

Minimise risk to your company:

• Supply condoms - they are free of charge from local clinic
:
• Provide education - this is often available from NGOs and clinics:
• HIV issues;
• Related issues: gender equity; sexual roles in communities.
• STI management: this is the role of clinics.
• NOTE: It is illegal to minimise your risk through requesting HIV testing at pre-employment.
• BUT: It is legal to exclude people who are sick at the time of pre-employment.

Manage the risk - staff:

• Fundamentally: maintain a good relationship with staff.
• Do NOT positively discriminate.
• Base your decisions on performance only.
• Develop a relationship with service providers such as the local GP or clinic.
• When people start looking ill and their performance drops refer for assessment and then get people on to ART.
• Be comfortable to get involved in Direct Observable Therapy (DOT).

Manage the risk - market:

• LSMs.
• Remember many of your customers may be dependant on LSM 3 - 5.
• Will your stock reflect the changing demographic needs?
• Soups, nourishing food, "AIDS packs"

Next Steps:

• Decide on urgency and importance of HIV/AIDS.
• Create an AIDS working committee to ensure all the stakeholders are on board. They will help prioritise the issues.

Remember! NOAH built the ark BEFORE it started raining!

"Vulnerability" assessment:

This is a critical project. With the outputs you can make decisions about:

• the employee relationship;
• the employee package;
• Allows you to define how "compassionate" you can be.

Next Steps - operational:

There is enough information to act NOW. So,

• Review work practises.
• Implement changes as necessary.

Find out about the available resources:

• Educational.
• Support.

Work practice review: How risky is it to work at your company?

For day to day business: none (including food handling)

For First Aid: Very low, but consequences could be fatal. Prevention simple, such as providing gloves, goggles, aprons and a disinfectant such as Jik

There are simple implementation issues, such as condocans with the addresses of clinic addresses for STI management.

KEY POINTS:

• AIDS is everybody's problem.
• Leadership is critical.
• Co-ordinated management is worthwhile.
• Detailed understanding of the implications will allow for better decision making.
• Training would assist in dealing with HIV.
• AIDS is our challenge - it is not all hopeless.
• Prevention programmes are critical.
• Simple interventions can get the ball rolling.