Blood Testing at Namaqualand
A business imperative
HIV/AIDS management in Southern Africa is embedded into the workings of our business and is a key part of our business risk management process.
The Family of Companies is committed to addressing HIV/AIDS in a positive, supportive and non-discriminatory manner that enhances engagement and wellness. This includes eliminating stigma.
We aim to minimise the socioeconomic and developmental consequences of HIV/AIDS through comprehensive workplace programmes that enable us to achieve our “vision of zeros”.
This term refers to our aim of achieving zero new HIV infections in employees or partners, zero babies born with HIV/AIDS from mothers registered on our treatment programmes and zero deaths from HIV/AIDS as employees and their partners access our treatment programmes.
Achieving this vision means finding the right balance between the management of prevention, care, treatment and support initiatives across the Family of Companies.
Our global HIV/AIDS Policy
The Global HIV/AIDS Policy applies to the entire Family of Companies. It is reviewed on a regular basis according to country and company requirements and best practice.
The current policy was developed in consultation with employees, trade unions, local communities, government and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).
Our policy ensures there is no obligation on an existing or prospective employee to disclose his/her HIV status. No pre-employment testing or screening is undertaken and screening is not used in the determination of promotions or bursaries.
Where an employee’s HIV status becomes known, this knowledge is treated in the strictest confidence.
Our experiences with a dedicated Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) programme in South Africa have identified the need for a closer alignment with healthcare service providers to enable a more integrated service and improved patient care. This includes holistic wellness (“stay well“) programmes.
Treatment
Our Disease Management Programme (DMP) provides employees with access to health programmes that address physical and psychological wellbeing.
This includes wellness advice, access to physicians, Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT), prophylaxis, nutritional supplements and ART when clinically required.
Anti-retroviral treatment
ART is available free to HIV infected employees and their spouse or life partners where it can be provided in a responsible and sustainable manner. This includes our South African operations and joint ventures in Botswana and Namibia.
Debswana was the first company in the world to provide a DMP outside of medical insurance. It also provides ART to the children of company employees.
Employees are not removed from ART programmes if they retire or are retrenched.
The ART programmes are externally coordinated by Aid for AIDS (AfA) via a network of accredited service providers.
Prevention
The Family of Companies has implemented a number of awareness and training interventions to prevent and manage HIV / AIDS and related risks.
These include a managers training programme, publicity campaigns and the training and use of peer educators to facilitate the sharing of experiences through discussion and debate, KAP (Knowledge, Attitude and Practice) surveys and VCT programmes.
Condoms and femidoms are also available free of charge to employees through on-site medical centres, clinics, restrooms and offices.
VCT is provided at mine medical facilities, a number of external facilities and private medical practitioners. It is available to all employees, spouses, life partners and contractors.
VCT has a dual purpose. It supports those who are found to be HIV negative to remain negative. It also enables us to offer those who are HIV infected access to wellness, support and treatment programmes that enhance their quality of life and extend the duration of productive employment.
Ongoing measuring, monitoring and evaluation of our HIV/AIDS risk management process is vital to deliver continuous improvement in performance and health outcomes. Monitoring to date has been most rigorous with respect to treatment.