AEGiS-15IAC: HIV/AIDS-solidarity fund, an essential component of a comprehensive workplace policy.

15th International AIDS Conference

Bangkok, Thailand - July 11-16, 2004

HIV/AIDS-solidarity fund, an essential component of a comprehensive workplace policy.

Int Conf AIDS 2004 Jul 11-16; 15:(abstract no. MoOrC1101)

van den Hombergh H
MoH/GTZ Reproductive Health Program, Nairobi, Kenya

ISSUE: In high prevalence countries like Kenya, employers must address the impact of HIV/AIDS on their human resource management (HRM) and ultimately their output. Various models project the multifaceted costs to address this impact and diverse workplace policies (WPP) have been experimented with. A solidarity fund to cover for costs of a comprehensive care & support program as part of the GTZ-Kenya WPP is presented.

DESCRIPTION: The German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) is implementing development projects for the German Ministry for Development. Worldwide it employs over 8000 national staff (NP) in over 70 countries and has recognized the negative impacts of HIV/AIDS on success and sustainability of development cooperation and the constraints in HRM. As part GTZ's "Mainstreaming HIV strategy" in all its projects, a pilot project for a solidarity fund was implemented. This has been adopted as a model for inclusion in a global GTZ-WPP for all GTZ supported programs/projects. Details of how national staff (NP) and family is insured for AIDS related costs on top of the normal health insurance, the MOU with a hospital, the GTZ and an insurance broker, the mechanics to ensure confidentiality during administration, the process of awareness creation, the promotion of VCT to facilitate early entrance into the scheme, the computer model to project the contributions to create and sustain such a fund, and practical examples of reaching out to the employees' extended families and the communities they are a member of, will be shown.

LESSONS LEARNT: small monthly contributions of employer and employees can create a sustainable fund ensuring access to comprehensive, qualitative care and support, enhance awareness and preserve maximum health in PLWA, reduce absenteeism and increase staff motivation and corporate identity. Recommendation: Also small companies, NOGs and Development Cooperation organizations can mitigate the impact of the epidemic, implementing comprehensive WPPs and thus reap the human and economic benefits in a cost efficient way.

Keywords: AEGIS, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV Seropositivity, Public Policy, Financial Management, HIV Infections, Workplace, Organizations, Employment, Disease Outbreaks, Research, Kenya, Humans, economics, organization & administration

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MoOrC1101