UNAIDS Sharing Experiences from SA Workplace Wellness Dialogues Dr Miriam Chipimo Senior Policy & Programme Adviser SA BCOHA &ILO Pre-Conference Workshop 6 th June 2011, Hilton Hotel, Durban

The Guidance on HIV Programming from Global Level: turning the tide

The 3 Rs In essence, HIV programmes need to focus on the three things that are needed to stop the epidemic : Reducing the risk of contracting HIV; Reducing the probability of transmitting HIV; Reducing mortality and morbidity among those infected with HIV

High Impact High Value Decision-makers must be able to deliver the right mix: –Basic high-impact, high-value programme activities; (2) –Critical enablers that help maximize the impact and value of investments in basic programme activities; and –Additional health system or development strategies that promote synergies with more AIDS-focused strategy Together with the supporting interventions which help to catalyze and increase effectiveness. It is possible to more effectively allocate AIDS resources. Allocation can be used to scale up the most effective approaches. Focus should be on the most effective combination of interventions on the basis of epidemic dynamics and population sizes in each setting.

Back to Basics Preliminary UNAIDS projections show that bringing a package of high- quality, basic programme activities to scale could prevent more than 75% of all new HIV infections between 2015 and The bulk of available resources should focus on a limited number of high- impact basic programme activities that offer especially good value for money spent. A combination HIV prevention approach incorporates proven prevention interventions that are essential for an effective response. These include: – Promotion of the use of male and female condoms; –Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), –Male circumcision in countries with generalised epidemics and low levels of male circumcision, –Antiretroviral therapy for treatment as well as prevention, –Social and behaviour change communication (SBCC)

CRITICAL ENABLERS Social Political

Social Enablers Political commitment and advocacy enables AIDS responses at all levels, including through resource allocation, creation of enabling environments supporting the realization of rights. Political commitment may be generated through advocacy

Social Enablers Community Mobilization A community becomes mobilized when: – a particular group of people becomes aware of a shared concern or common need, –they take action in order to create shared benefits. This action may be helped by the participation of an external. However, momentum must come from within the concerned group or it will not be sustained over time.

Community centred design and delivery There are many informal and formal organizations and structures which are involved in community responses to HIV. The documentation of the nature of community involvement is patchy, with informal contributions rarely documented.

Workplace Wellness Dialogues

Background UNAIDS conducted a training session in 2010 for UN Helpers- for the UN Wellness Workplace Programme. UNAIDS received requests for facilitation to conduct wellness dialogues at the workplace : –IFC/World Bank –Development Partners: EU, New Zealand –STATS SA

Topics HIV –Know the facts about HIV & AIDS –Prevention (male & female condoms) –Stay healthy –Workplace TB –What is TB (epidemiology: who, where, how) –Prevention –Stay healthy –Workplace

Topics Work-Life Balance "Do’s and Don’ts for staying healthy in the work place" Session Goal: –To improve knowledge, attitudes and effect positive behavior change at the work place Objectives –To understand the effect of negative work place issues and how they can impact on lifestyle and how life style issues impact on productivity –To define positive solutions for these issues Obesity next month

Outcomes Increased knowledge and understanding Increased perception of risk Empowering employees to make an informed choice in the lives Transformation into peer/partner/parent/family and community advocates and knowledge sharing Understanding of importance of prevention Reduction of stigma

HIV Testing at the UN Workplace Challenges in identifying a work place friendly provider: –Privacy requires many rooms for several counsellors –Best done over a period rather than a day Challenges in referral: –Anoymous vs referral form with details Quality of counselling –Condoms & risk reduction- weak –Couple, youth, child counselling-weak –Not family centred (PMTCT, discordant couples) –Counselling takes long –Wellness knowledge is poor- TB, BMI, cholesterol, BP, Temperature (?)

Recommendations Provide employees with opportunities to engage in regular work place wellness dialogues Dialogues should be broad, not just focused on HIV- let employees determine some of the topics Combine dialogues and HCT and treatment referral and provide HCT at scheduled intervals All cadres should be involved: drivers, cleaners, management including senior managers. Impart condom use skills-back to basics

Workplace dialogues Informs & creates awareness among the general public or specific populations about HIV, Empowers people to take action. Is concerned with communicating a series of messages about the disease or informing the public about what services exist Creates an environment through which workers can discuss, debate, organize, and communicate their own perspectives on HIV and their health. Is aimed at changing behaviours. Can be used to support communication-for-social-change processes to shift social mores and barriers to behaviour change. Dialogue efforts are measured in the reach and comprehension of their messages to intended audiences.

VISION ZERO NEW HIV INFECTIONS. ZERO DISCRIMINATION. ZERO AIDS-RELATED DEATHS.