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Managing Hiv And Aids Stigma In The Workplace
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In South Africa, a survey is conducted annually to establish the prevalence of
HIV infection amongst pregnant woman attending antenatal clinics.
Extrapolating
from the 2001 antenatal survey, it is estimated that 4.7 million adults
were infected with HIV – 2.65 million women between the ages of 15 and
49, and 2.09 million men in the same age group (Department of Public
Service and Administration, 2002).
The impact of the HIV/AIDS
epidemic is significant, affecting all spheres of life and all sectors.
It has the potential to reverse many development gains. The Department
of Social Development in the State of South Africa’s Population Report
2000, estimates that:
“Life expectancy has dropped from 63 years in 1990 to 56.5 years in 2000;
Child mortality has increased from 75 per 1 000 in 1990 to 91 per 1 000 in 2000; and
The
probability of a 15 year old dying before the age of 60 was 27 per 1
000 in 1990 and has risen to 40 per 1 000 in 2000†(Department of Public
Service and Administration, 2002:14).
1.2 Research Problem
HIV
and AIDS are serious public health problems, which have socioeconomic,
employment and human rights implications. It is recognised that the
HIV/AIDS epidemic will affect every workplace, with prolonged staff
illness, absenteeism, and death impacting on productivity, employee
benefits, occupational health and safety, production costs and workplace
morale (Code of Good Practice, 2000).
Furthermore HIV/AIDS is still a
disease surrounded by ignorance, prejudice, discrimination and stigma.
In the workplace unfair discrimination against people living with HIV
and AIDS has been perpetuated through practices such as pre-employment
HIV testing, dismissals for being HIV positive and the denial of
employee benefits.
The epidemic also affects business in many ways,
including increasing costs because of absenteeism, sickness and
recruitment, organizational disruption and loss of skills, and
increasing health expenses and funeral costs. (UNAIDS Report, 2004). The
disease ultimately reduces company profits as expenses increase,
production or service delivery fails to adhere to planned schedules, and
customers change their purchasing plans because of the HIV/AIDS
expenses they themselves incur.
HIV/AIDS not only affects workers on
the job, it also causes a major drain on family savings and resources.
Just as a company experiences increased expenses due to HIV/AIDS, so
does a household when members are all ill with HIV/AIDS. One outcome is
loss of wages, as a person becomes too weak to work. Another outcome is
an increase in medical expenses to treat conditions associated with
infection. Caring for a sick family member disrupts the work schedules
of others, further income. (Workplace HIV/AIDS Programs)
One of the
most effective ways of reducing and managing the impact of HIV/AIDS in
the workplace is through the implementation of a workplace HIV/AIDS
policy and prevention programmes.
The HIV/AIDS remains the primary
threat to South Africa’s economic, social and political development.
According to Chetty & Michel (2005), the epidemic is maturing and
infection rates still put South Africa squarely in the category of high
prevalence countries. The Nelson Mandela/ HSRC study of HIV/AIDS (2002),
revealed that South Africa, as a country, has the largest number of
people living with HIV/AIDS in the world: 14, 4% of people living with
HIV/AIDS live in South Africa. Dorrington et al. (2004) estimated that
of the 5.6 million South Africans living with HIV/AIDS, the highest
prevalence is among those aged 15 – 49 years with major differences for
males and females. New AIDS cases during 2004 totalled 525 000. Total
deaths were 701 000, of these non – AIDS deaths were 390 000 and AIDS
deaths 311 000, and accumulated AIDS deaths mid – year were 1 212 000.
The percentages of deaths due to HIV/AIDS were as follows: 70% for
adults aged 15 – 49 years, 45% for adults aged 15 years and above, and
42% for children under 15 years of age (Department of Social
Development, 2004).
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