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The mining industry cares about workers infected with HIV
29 April 2003. Chamber of Mines Press Release.
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The Chief Executive of the Chamber of Mines of South Africa Mr Mzolisi Diliza today announced that the Chamber of Mines is taking a simple message to the HIV/AIDS Summit to be held on 30 April 2003: Lets stop ?‘fighting?’ each other about HIV/AIDS ?– Let us turn the war towards the epidemic.
Mr Diliza said that in its input to the summit, the Chamber will highlight that some 5 million people are living with HIV/AIDS in 2003 and that the, HIV/AIDS epidemic is one of the most important challenges facing South Africa today.
Diliza further said that it is the firm belief of the mining industry that South Africa has created one of the most progressive and far-sighted policy and legislative frameworks for dealing with HIV/AIDS in the world.
'Despite this and despite the comprehensive HIV/AIDS programmes developed in the private and public sectors, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS continues to increase. This indicates that these policies and laws have not been adequately implemented and have not impacted significantly on the ground.?’
The Chamber has been in the forefront of providing treatment as part of its comprehensive strategy to combat the disease. It is the Chamber?’s view that this must continue and be strengthened by initiatives that will make it more and more sustainable. "This is the best May Day message that we can ever send out to the multitudes of workers who are the pillar of this industry," added Diliza.
The Mining Industry and activities on HIV/AIDS
The mining industry has been proactive in adopting an attitude of both caring employer as well as developing a business case against HIV/AIDS. Since 1985, when the first survey was done in the Industry to detect HIV amongst workers, up to the nineties, when full scale treatment of the diseases was instituted in the industry, there has been a commitment to actively become part of a national solution to combat HIV/AIDS.
Amongst the highlights of our work in this areas are the following:
- 1993: The Chamber of Mines established a standing committee on HIV/AIDS in the Chamber to continually assess and establish best practice in the industry.
- 1994: The Chamber of Mines reviewed and customized the WHO document ?‘Clinical Management of HIV/AIDS?’ for the mining industry.
- 1995: The Chamber of Mines commissioned a survey on HIV/AIDS in Southern Africa; this was discussed at a World Bank Congress on HIV/AIDS held at Victoria Falls in 1995.
- 1990?’s onwards: Chamber of Mines members increasingly started introducing HIV/AIDS programmes which included ?– training of nurse counselors and peer educators, free condom distribution, awareness and education programmes, free sexually transmitted infections treatment, treatment of opportunistic infections especially TB.
Throughout this time the Chamber has always approached this matter as a partnership with its social partners. Moreover, Chamber members have increasingly been involved in making their HIV/AIDS programmes available to surrounding communities and making facilities available in partnership with the state.
Companies in the industry developed their policies influenced by best practices on HIV/AIDS from various parts of the world, the SADC code on HIV/AIDS in the workplace, the ILO code, the Department of Health strategic document on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria, and the NEDLAC code. This is in addition to workplace agreements reached with labour unions and experience gained in everyday practice within the working environment.
HIV/AIDS policies in the industry integrate the following principles ?– Comprehensive Management Programme; Non discrimination and Non stigmatisation in all areas of work related activity. The Comprehensive management programmes include prevention programme
Prevention and awareness
Many company internal programmes have been launched over the last decade. These focus on awareness, education, and training, peer education, condom distribution, the management of STIs (sexually transmitted infections) and community interventions. These are some of the highlights:
- Awareness raising events: sports days, theatre, music festivals, HIV/AIDS rallies, radio, newspaper and poster campaigns.
- All employees undergo induction training, which includes an HIV component; qualified instructor?’s train HIV/AIDS instructors/ facilitators.
- Peer Educators are trained by experts through a 5-day participate, supportive and counselling course. Peer educators focus on Abstinence, Be Faithful, and Condomize (ABC) and promote the use of ICVCT (informed consent voluntary testing and counselling) and wellness services. Most companies are trying to improve the ratio of peer educators to employees (present ratio 1:65 to 1:145)
Treatment, care and support
Wellness management programmes are designed to extend productive life as far as possible. This is inclusive of counselling; life style change, treatment of opportunistic infections and the use of antiretrovirals are designed to extend the life of the employee. Therapy is presently provided to the following employees:
- Employee who has been occupationally exposed: prophylactic treatment;
- MTCT (mother to child transmission): therapy provided during pregnancy to HIV+ pregnant employees according to accepted protocols;
- Rape victims: provide prophylactic treatment;
- Some companies are beginning to provide treatment to employees living with HIV/AIDS.
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