Companies urged to get proactive on AIDS

GOVERNMENT has called on Namibian companies to include HIV and AIDS activities in their annual budgets to ensure that their equipment is operated by humans.

Speaking at a meeting discussing the impact of HIV and AIDS on the transport sector yesterday, Works Deputy Minister Steve Mokgotsi said companies must stop thinking that “HIV will disappear into thin air”. “The impact of AIDS is taking its toll.Gone are the days it that was just a responsibility of the Ministry of Health,” Mokgotsi said.He said transport companies had a heavy responsibility, as their truckers were away from home most of the time and “have their sexual needs met while on the road”.The work of truckers was critically important, Mokgotsi said, and posed a challenge to their employers to explore the best ways of behavioural change.”Machines and tools do not operate themselves,” he warned the employers, adding that reluctance on the part of employers will ultimately have a negative impact on their operations.Johnny Smith, Business Development Executive of the Walvis Bay Corridor Group which organised the gathering, said HIV was likely to undermine company operations until they acted to counter it.”It is not just a social responsibility issue.Companies need full-scale HIV work programmes,” he said.All speakers at the meeting agreed that management support was critical in achieving a positive impact at the workplace.Ohlthaver and List’s Human Capital Director, Bethold Mukuahima, said his company initiated a strategic plan with clear goals in their fight against HIV and AIDS.He said all top managers of the 15 O&L business wings went for public HIV tests and it encouraged staff to follow suit.The result was that 83 per cent of O&L’s 3 700 employees were tested while 70 per cent went back for their results.”Management must walk the talk.We wanted staff to know their status.Not us knowing their status.We told them that their future is our future,” he said.O&L has since introduced treatment for staff members that is paid by the company.”HIV will not stop targeting your business.So don’t stop targeting HIV,” Mukuahima said.The Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) has 11 companies as members and 10 of them collectively employ 4 075 staff.The staff complement of the 11th company was not available when a study on the impact of the disease was done.Christoph Tjirongo of the WBCG said awareness and prevention programmes at many companies ended with the distribution of condoms without a demonstration how to use them.He singled out a few companies which provided treatment benefits, had a full-time staff member for an employee wellness programme and gave additional funds to schemes covering the medical costs of terminally ill staff.”The impact of AIDS is taking its toll.Gone are the days it that was just a responsibility of the Ministry of Health,” Mokgotsi said.He said transport companies had a heavy responsibility, as their truckers were away from home most of the time and “have their sexual needs met while on the road”.The work of truckers was critically important, Mokgotsi said, and posed a challenge to their employers to explore the best ways of behavioural change.”Machines and tools do not operate themselves,” he warned the employers, adding that reluctance on the part of employers will ultimately have a negative impact on their operations.Johnny Smith, Business Development Executive of the Walvis Bay Corridor Group which organised the gathering, said HIV was likely to undermine company operations until they acted to counter it.”It is not just a social responsibility issue.Companies need full-scale HIV work programmes,” he said.All speakers at the meeting agreed that management support was critical in achieving a positive impact at the workplace.Ohlthaver and List’s Human Capital Director, Bethold Mukuahima, said his company initiated a strategic plan with clear goals in their fight against HIV and AIDS.He said all top managers of the 15 O&L business wings went for public HIV tests and it encouraged staff to follow suit.The result was that 83 per cent of O&L’s 3 700 employees were tested while 70 per cent went back for their results.”Management must walk the talk.We wanted staff to know their status.Not us knowing their status.We told them that their future is our future,” he said.O&L has since introduced treatment for staff members that is paid by the company.”HIV will not stop targeting your business.So don’t stop targeting HIV,” Mukuahima said.The Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) has 11 companies as members and 10 of them collectively employ 4 075 staff.The staff complement of the 11th company was not available when a study on the impact of the disease was done.Christoph Tjirongo of the WBCG said awareness and prevention programmes at many companies ended with the distribution of condoms without a demonstration how to use them.He singled out a few companies which provided treatment benefits, had a full-time staff member for an employee wellness programme and gave additional funds to schemes covering the medical costs of terminally ill staff.