Establishing workplace policy on HIV/AIDS
In an effort to correct what they consider rights abuses, human rights bodies businesses and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) are calling for the implementation of the National Work Place Policy with regards to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The National Policy on HIV/AIDS was approved in Nigeria by the Federal Executive Council on April 20, 2005 to prescribe […]
In an effort to correct what they consider rights abuses, human rights bodies businesses and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) are calling for the implementation of the National Work Place Policy with regards to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The National Policy on HIV/AIDS was approved in Nigeria by the Federal Executive Council on April 20, 2005 to prescribe standard practices on the fight against the disease in workplaces.
Access Bank Plc in collaboration with “Friends of the Global Funds Africa” joined the fight recently. It organized a workshop in Lagos with the theme “Workplace Policies on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria”. Participants were mostly from 84 small and medium scale entrepreneurs (SMEs) from the South West geopolitical zone of Nigeria.
The aim of the workshop was to enable the SMEs to put in place policies that would protect their staff living with HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria.
Dr (Mrs) Akudo Ikemba, founder of “Friends of the Global Funds Africa” noted that the strength of any company would always be its workforce. She regretted that employees of SMEs were mostly affected by job loss because their employers didn’t have any workplace policy, either on health or on insurance. According to her, a study conducted by the World Economic Forum on Business Response to HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria in 153 private sector firms in Nigeria shows there is an urgent need for the establishment of such a policy.
“Fifty-three per cent accepted that HIV/AIDS is affecting their current business operation.
“Eight-eight per cent expect HIV/AIDS to impact on their business operation in the next five years and 58 per cent expect malaria to impact on their business operation in the next five years. “Sixty-seven per cent said they expect TB to impact their business operation in the next five years,” she says.
Ikemba said the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa has made it imperative for companies to institute health policies in their workplaces to protect workers.
She expressed the hope that the workshop would equip participants adequately to put in place policies to protect their employees.
The Director-General, National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA), Prof. John Idoko, confirmed that HIV/AIDS has affected the business climate, the workforce and productivity in Africa.
Idoko said that Nigeria needed to adopt practical and integrated approaches that could assist in reversing not only the HIV/AIDS trend but also Malaria and TB.
The adoption of workplace policy including HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is in view of their critical nature to our health as a nation. “It is the healthy thing to do; it is the smart thing to do as an organisation,’’ he advised.
Idoko appealed to organizations to develop a simple, clear and integrated workplace policy incorporating HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
According to him, the ailments constitute the greatest public health challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“Statistics show that people in the productive age bracket constitute the majority of those falling victim of these diseases. “The direct implication are loss of valuable man-hours, diversion of scarce resources toward medical treatment, etc, etc. “As the engine of economic growth and provider of platform for social interaction, private sector organizations have key roles to play in addressing the challenges of malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS”, he said.
According to him, more than 3.3 million Nigerians have received HIV counseling and testing.
“The development of our nation in the face of HIV/AIDS depends on the application of multi-sectoral approaches to stop further spread of the disease across various segments of the society.
“With approximately three million people living with HIV, 380,000 new infections, 280,000 annual deaths and about three million deaths due to HIV related causes, we do not need any special skill to understand the need for everybody to take individual and collective action on this pandemic,’’ he argued.
Mr Olusina Olulana, Executive Secretary, Nigeria Business Coalition Against AIDS (NIBUCAA), explained that the goal of the policy was to provide guidelines to governments, employers and workers.
In his paper entitled “Overview of the National Workplace Policy on HIV/AIDS,’’ Olulana said the policy would identify strategies and programmes for the management of HIV/AIDS issues in the workplace.
He said the policy must state clearly that a worker should not be discriminated against because of his or her HIV status.
“The key policy issues include no mandatory testing before or during employment; maintenance of confidentiality of workers’ records with respect to HIV status.
Olulana said other issues “are no termination of appointment, no exclusion from employment prospects such as promotion, occupational benefits, overseas courses, zero tolerance for stigma and discrimination at work”. He said the document should also include maintenance of safe and healthy work environment, prevention, care, support and impact mitigation.
Olulana regretted that HIV and AIDS have generated fear, anxiety and prejudice against people living with them.
Mr Aig Aig-Imoukhuede, Managing Director of Access Bank Plc, noted that HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria were not only health problems but also development problems. Aig-Imoukhuede believed that these three pandemics affect Africa more than any other continent.
He emphasized that the diseases undermined companies’ productive capacities and weakened the workforce of private sector as well as threatened national security. “It is our responsibilities in the private sector to set action and join forces with the public sector in addressing this pandemic”, he urged.
It is believed that if well implemented, the National Workplace Policy on HIV/AIDS would enhance job security for People Living with HIV/AIDS and TB.
It would also reduce their psychological trauma, address the pandemics and strengthen the nation’s workforce and economy.
(NANFeatures)