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Managing HIV/AIDS is part of new degree
Published in The Sowetan, 23 September 2002
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The battle against HIV/AIDS is being fought on many fronts, including primary intervention, appropriate screening and surveillance, the care of people infected and affected, as well as research to develop a vaccine, says Professor Jan du Toit of Stellenbosch University's Department of Industrial Psychology.
Stellenbosch and the Medical University of South Africa (MEDUNSA) became involved in the battle against AIDS at the end of 2000 after Deputy-President Jacob Zuma challenged them to develop a programme to train the managers and labour leaders of South Africa's workforce.
"Regardless of what we do in the community, if we do not extend our prevention and care work to the workplace, we will not make a dent in this epidemic," Zuma said. The resulting "Postgraduate Diploma in the Management of HIV/AIDS in the World of Work" is designed to reduce the impact of the epidemic in the workplace and in communities.
Stellenbosch and Medunsa believe the management of HIV/AIDS in the workplace is characterised by unevenness, inadequate training and distrust between managers and workers, which causes negative effects on the quality of life and work. "This programme addresses the broad aspects of the epidemic in various communities and enables managers and workers to enhance the quality of the workplace," du Toit says.
Innovative learning platforms are used and students spend only two weeks in the classroom at Stellenbosch and Medunsa. The rest of the time they use the virtual classrooms that are the hallmark of this joint venture. They learn on-line, via interactive satellite broadcasts, by case studies, by meeting roleplayers in the HIV/AIDS arena, by doing assignment and by visiting project sites to gain first-hand experience.
The training is presented in six modules: · The problem of HIV/AIDS · Socio-cultural aspects · Policy development and advocacy · Prevention of and care for people living with HIV/AIDS · Strategic human resources management in the era of HIV/AIDS · Research on and the monitoring and assessment of HIV/AIDS programmes
Several large South African companies are involved with the programme as strategic partners, and best practices are continually shared with the students. The programme has received a grant of US$1 million (R10,5 million) from the Carnegie Corporation.
Grintek's medical aid scheme co-ordinator, Ms Susan Steinbach, says she initially thought she knew everything about HIV/AIDS, but the course showed her that she knew very little. "To be confronted by HIV-positive people gave it a more human face. It removed barriers to HIV/AIDS that I never knew existed in myself. The Diploma gave me confidence and professional guidance. I am now able to take a firm stance towards the management of the disease," she says.
Some 130 students registered for the course at Stellenbosch this year, and another 44 at Medunsa. More than 30 of them are international students, some from the United Nations and others from Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Fiji, Taiwan and France. Sixteen percent are educators, 6% nurses, 4% human resources managers, and there are a variety of others, including a features writer, a priest and a guesthouse manager.
Entry requirements are any Bachelor's degree, or National Higher Diploma or equivalent, along with appropriate management experience and computer literacy. The course lasts one year part-time.
South Africa has a number of HIV/AIDS-related training programmes, but this is the only one that corresponds with a postgraduate degree programme, says du Toit. He says the programme is a world-first, owing to its subject matter.
For more information, contact Professor Jan du Toit at (021) 808 3004 or via e-mail on [email protected]. |
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