Call for a national charter to deal with HIV/Aids in the workplace

According to figures published in Time magazine (April 2004), South Africa has approximately 5.2 million HIV positive citizens, representing nearly 13% of the population and, while accurate quantified figures on a non-disclosed disease are often questionable, the undeniable fact is that South Africa is staring down the barrel of an increasing infection rate with dire consequences should no action be taken.

With a Health Ministry in denial, coupled to broad based public education programmes and limited antiretroviral rollouts, it has become increasingly important for South African employers to take responsibility for HIV positive employees, according to Charles Parsons, managing director of Calibre Clinical Consultants, an HIV Aids disease management consultancy.

Parsons recently called for employers to convene and adopt a charter based on effective HIV Aids disease management in the workplace. Says Parsons: "Governmental and NGO programmes that are aimed at the general populous play an important role in overall education, but, even after the Gauteng rollout of antiretrovirals, these programmes still focus primarily on preventative education as opposed to effective disease management.

"Disease management has to be pulled through to the workplace. After all, this is where the majority of South Africans spend most of their time and more effective influence may be attained."

While most employee benefits are company and industry specific in terms of type of industry, company and employee culture, it is vital that a common ground be sought in the management of the HIV Aids pandemic in the workplace. Parsons believes that a National HIV Management Charter For Employers should form the basic guideline for industry in terms of disease management while allowing room for tweaking in terms of individual company culture.

Calibre Clinical Consultants suggest the following basic terms for a National HIV Management Charter For Employers:
1. Education and Training: We do not believe that current efforts by government are making a significant impact in the reduction of the infection rate. It is suggested that companies develop staff education programmes that operate within individual workplace cultures and of course, that take the actual cultural makeup of their staff into account when developing these programmes. Staff should also be made aware of HIV disease management structures that have been put in place by the employer.

2. Voluntary Testing In The Workplace - Know Your Status: Voluntary employee HIV testing should be available to staff and conducted in an appropriately legal and moral manner. Employees should be aware of the company's HIV disease management programme and be encouraged to participate should they be HIV positive.

3. Ongoing Counselling and Disease Management: That companies supply confidential counselling and disease management facilities that are available to all HIV positive employees. This would provide a confidential implementation of HIV Aids disease management of infected employees.

Calibre Clinical Consultants believes that, through outsourcing such functions to professional, ethical third parties with proven track records, employee trust and confidentiality is maintained while effectively managing said member through proven disease management programmes.

Such programmes are also in line with the practice of non-disclosure status of HIV Aids.

Says Parsons: "The average life expectancy of untreated HIV positive patients ranges between 5 and 12 years, dependant on the severity of the infection. When properly managed though, it is possible for an HIV positive individual to enjoy normal life expectancy. Proper management and treatment of HIV positive employees therefore holds obvious economic benefits to the employer, ranging from less time off work due to illness through increased productivity (based on health) and a greater life expectancy provides greater return on skills investment, among others. Several actuarial studies have confirmed that untreated HIV infected staff can make significant impacts on the corporate bottom line."

Management of HIV positive employees at a workplace level has proven to be internationally successful and should adhere to globally accepted protocols.

Parsons also believes that government should reward companies that have put an Employee HIV Disease Management Programme place or adopted a formulated charter with tax incentives or subsidies. At present HIV benefits are being taxed by the government. "As with the skills development (SETA) system presently in place, it would make sense for government to either create a similar programme for the effective management of HIV Aids in the workplace or, for that matter, offer companies that have taken the initiative in assisting in the management of HIV positive employees, tax incentives or subsidies.

"I do not believe that South African industry is doing enough to manage the HIV Aids pandemic, though some companies have taken significant action. On the other hand, if employers are looking to the government for leadership in this matter, one could argue that the present status quo that exists is adequate."