SAfAIDS offers technical assistance to institutions, the private sector and NGOs in the southern Africa region in developing workplace policies that address HIV and AIDS. To date they have worked with several organisations on this using participatory methods that help to create staff ownership of their policy. These policies can assist in preventing new infections, mitigating the impact of AIDS and giving guidelines on how to manage HIV in the world of work. One of the key lessons learnt is that there is a general reluctance to disclose HIV status by employees for fear of victimisation, making it difficult for them to get support from their employers. Stigma and discrimination are still prevalent in the world of work both in the formal and informal sectors. To support their current work and also to disseminate information in the area of policy development they have written a brochure on " Steps in developing a workplace policy that addresses HIV/AIDS." The brochure is currently available in hard copy but SAfAIDS are planning to post it on our website soon (www.safaids.org.zw). To be included on the mailing list for this particular brochure please contact info@safaids.org.zw
Human Resources
Despite the undoubted importance of human resources to the functions of health systems, there is little consistency between countries in how human resource strategies are monitored and evaluated. This paper presents an integrated approach for developing an evidence base on human resources for health (HRH) to support decision-making, drawing on a framework for health systems performance assessment. Major variations in the supply of health personnel and training opportunities are found to occur by region. However, certain discrepancies are also observed in measuring the same indicator from different sources, possibly related to the occupational classification or to the sources’ representation.
Conservative estimates by Wilma Meeus and David Sanders at the University of the Western Cape’s School of Public Health show that the United States has saved at least U$3,86-million(R30,9 million) in training fees by employing doctors from Nigeria, which has lost 21 000 doctors to the superpower.
While Malawi's health sector is already hurt by shortages of drugs due to a constrained government budget, and a rising death toll because of HIV/AIDS, an exodus of medical personnel to richer western nations is threatening to cripple the already ailing sector.
As the economic burden of HIV/AIDS increases in sub-Saharan Africa, allocation of the burden among levels and sectors of society is changing. The private sector has more scope to avoid the economic burden of AIDS than governments, households, or nongovernmental organisations, and the burden is being systematically shifted away from the private sector. Common practices that transfer the burden to households and government include: Pre-employment screening; Reductions in employee benefits; Restructured employment contracts; Outsourcing of low skilled jobs; Selective retrenchments; and Changes in production technologies. This paper was produced by the Department of International Health at Boston School of Public Health.
This paper from the Department of International Health at Boston School of Public Health is to summarizes what is known about the internal costs of HIV/AIDS, such as increasing absenteeism, higher pension payouts, and breakdowns in worker discipline and morale, to companies in Commonwealth countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The authors identify a dozen different types of workforce costs that HIV/AIDS will impose on African companies in the coming years. After briefly reviewing existing estimates of the costs of HIV/AIDS to business, they present a model for assessing these costs and describe some of the strategies companies are adopting to reduce the costs.
The Health Systems Trust has released the eighth edition of the South African Health Review. The review focuses on progress made in restructuring the South African health system and provides an annual and longer-term review of the implementation of South African health policies. Twenty one chapters are grouped into the following four themes: framework for transformation, human resources, priority programmes and support systems. The Review acts as a barometer for assessing the transformation processes and their impact on provision of equitable health care to all South Africans, and provides the most recent data on health status and health services, key opinions, and current thinking in Health in SA. Chapters 7 to 10, discuss issues pertinent to human resources development, including implementation of Community Service for Health Professionals, the deployment of community based health workers in dealing with essential health and social issues, and the experiences of primary health care facility workers.
Not only is the HIV/AIDS pandemic a "humanitarian disaster," but the disease could also cause an "economic crisis" in "emerging markets" such as South Africa, China and the former Soviet Union, where the virus is "spreading fast," the Toronto Globe and Mail reports. Labor-intensive industries, such as mining, have been particularly hard hit by HIV/AIDS, and service industries such as banking and food products may have to project slower growth in coming years due to a declining consumer base.
Private hospitals are pulling out all the stops to keep nurses from taking up lucrative offers overseas. Salary incentives and training programmes are just some of the carrots being dangled before staff to keep them loyal. Nursing Update, the journal of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa), is overflowing with adverts for nursing positions in the UK (where the training background is similar), Canada, the US, Australia and New Zealand. Saudi Arabia also pays big money.
This publication is designed to guide government departments in South Africa on the minimum requirements to effectively manage HIV/AIDS in the workplace and ensure a coordinated public service response. It is expected to assist departments in planning, developing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating workplace HIV/AIDS policies and programs.