ILO tackles HIV at workplace

Catherine Murombedzi HIV Issues
Under such circumstances even most of the men who are faithful would be found trespassing.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has identified the needs of this sector and has set up interventions to match their requirements.

Too many people are unable to adopt safe behaviour sexually and even the most at risk population like sex workers and truck drivers.

For sex workers it is the difference in economic empowerment that sees them take to risky behaviour at times and informing, building skills and economic empowerment can make a difference.

The truck drivers are found working in the red light districts and the transport hubs have a higher HIV prevalence rate as compared to other areas.

The ILO programme targeting truck drivers and communities living in their work vicinity in Zimbabwe offers empowerment to improve their skills, businesses, form cooperatives and access funds. These programmes are functional along the Chirundu, Kotwa, Nyamapanda, Beitbridge and Ngundu transport corridors. These have been in operation since 2011 and many stakeholders have been engaged.

“There are different needs in each sector and we see that cross-border traders have different needs to small and medium sized enterprises. Trade groups and transport sector workers have different needs to match their interventions and programmers take note of that,” said ILO in their report.

“To date 10 savings and credit co-operative societies have been formed along the corridors and in urban areas. These cover 500 families and 1 000 beneficiaries including people living with HIV. Hundreds of community members have been able to access HIV counselling and testing through the corridors programme,” said the ILO report.

The report went on to say that women being vulnerable by nature have been captured in the programme.

“Women without a decent source of income or who engage in trans-actional sex can borrow resources and start cross border trade businesses, food outlets, hair salons poultry projects and these have improved their income generation opportunities and livelihoods,” it added.

In 2012, UNAIDS reported that innovative ways have to be developed if we are to see a further decline of HIV.

“The national decline in HIV incidence in populations shows that sustained investments and increased political leadership for the Aids response are paying dividends.

In particular, countries with a concurrent scale up of HIV prevention and prevention programmes are seeing a drop in new HIV infections to record lows,” said UNAIDS in 2012 World Aids Day report.

Zimbabwe is one of the countries that had a high HIV prevalence rate and in 2000 it stood around 25 percent.

Today, the HIV prevalence rate has dropped to 14,8 percent and is commendable. However, the country can’t rest on its laurels as it still has to get down to one digit and still further as we strive to get to zero new HIV infections by 2030 in order to see an end to Aids.

The ILO promotes fundamental rights at work and has established key human rights principles to guide efforts to prevent HIV and mitigate its impact in workplaces.

In order to achieve optimal HIV responses in and through the world of work both men and women workers, their families, workplaces and local communities are supported in national HIV responses.

“To this effect ILO programme activities aim to focus on key populations at higher risks in the formal and informal sectors vulnerability to HIV, TB is higher due to the characters of the sector, To reduce risks by inducing behaviour change, changing norms and promote strategies to reduce new infections such as the prevention from mother-to-child transmission of HIV, voluntary counselling and testing, male circumcision, increased access to male and female condoms and treatment for those needing it,” ILO reports.

The ILO has forged partnerships at country level and this way is reaching out in national responses to reduce new HIV infections through empowering the communities.

THE ILO has reached out to more than 68 000 enterprises globally and have helped them to respond to HIV and Aids in and through the workplace.

Does your workplace have an HIV workplace wellness programme in place?

Wellness means a healthy workforce that sees production levels going up.

If we are to get zero new infections then HIV has to be dealt with even at the workplace.

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