HIV/AIDS mainstreaming in the workplace: an experience of CSO’s

1. HIV/AIDS mainstreaming in the workplace: an experience of CSO’s Tanzania AIDS Forum HIV/AIDS Technical review meeting Blue Peal Hotel, Dar Es Salaam 30th October 2008

2. About Tanzania AIDS Forum • Tanzania AIDS Forum (TAF) is an open network which brings together all HIV and AIDS organizations in Tanzania. • TAF was launched in May 2006 • The main objective of TAF is to bring together CSO’s to have one voice on advocating issues on HIV/AIDS, health and gender in Tanzania

3. Objectives for TAF • Facilitate learning and sharing of knowledge, lessons and experiences among CSOs. • High level engagement in policy and legal processes related to social cultural and economical issues. • Establishment of comprehensive mechanisms for Capacity building among members • Provide conducive atmosphere that will facilitate appropriate coordination and linkage among CSOs

4. Current TAF membership base Mwanza KAGERA SHINYANGA MOSHI B’mulo ARUSHA DODOMA TANGA DAR ES SALAAM Rukwa Mbeya

5. CSO’s experience in developing interventions at the work place • CSO’s have been among stakeholders that are positioned in the fore front on battle against HIV and AIDS since the first HIV cases were diagnosed in Tanzania in 1983 • Some of the initiatives of CSO’s have been programmes targeting communities, but some have been programmes for internal and external mainstreaming of HIV/AIDS in the work place • Some of the outstanding examples of CSO’s implementing HIV in the work place include AMREF, HDT, Concern World Wide, TANESA, VSO to mention but a few.

6. Rationale for HIV/AIDS intervention at workplace • The disease cuts the labor supply and reduces profit for many institutions • Valuable skills and experience are being lost • Most workers spend their time at work places • Easy to reach workers • Convenient area for workers/their family to get HIV&AIDS information

7. Steps for effective HIV/AIDS programme at work place • Management sessions for rationale of the programme • Conducting Baseline survey (KABP survey) • Sensitization session to management and staff on Basic Facts on HIV/AIDS • Training of Peer Health Educators • Provide on going information on HIV/AIDS and STI to staff • Formulation of HIV/AIDS committee • Developing participatory HIV policy at work place and dissemination the policy

8. Steps cont.... • Work plans and monitoring indicators including follow up survey • Ensure access to condoms • Encourage VCT and sharing confidentiality • Linking with services providers for care and support • Forum for PHE, focal person and management • Reach beyond the work place

9. Internal HIV/AIDS mainstreaming • CSO’s have been engaging in implementation of HIV/AIDS mainstreaming within their institutions to their workers, partners and families. • Experience shows that programmes which have been implemented vary from one organization to another • Major factors are size of organization, resources at disposal, management commitment and internal policies

10. Experience from Concern World Wide • Mainstreaming HIV in all guiding documents for in house HIV mainstreaming • Demand driven trainings among staff which include Prevention, care and treatment (ARV and OI), nutrition,, BCC, life skills, • Voluntary Counseling and Testing among staff

11. Experience from VSO • In house focused session on HIV knowledge • Enabling the workplace to open up a dialogue for HIV/AIDS facts • Accommodate HIV/AIDS interventions and Care and Support to Staff ( AAR) • Orientation of new staff and volunteers on HIV/AIDS and orientation of staff on National HIV guiding documents that include HIV policy, NMSF, MKUKUTA and HIV/AIDS act of 2008.

12. Experience from HDT • Interventions are implemented for both within HDT and to external institutions • In house programmes: Enabling the workplace to be user-friendly for discussion of HIV/AIDS issues • Prevention programme (Continuously educative sessions, avail condoms at work place and promotion of dialogue on HIV issues among workers) • Trainings on HIV facts, care and treatment, VCT, PMTCT and BCC

13. Technical support to External institutions • Situational analysis (KABP surveys) • Designing of the workplace HIV/AIDS policy • Trainings on BCC and peer educators • Provision of IEC materials • Monitoring and evaluation of the Programme • Orientation on national HIV/AIDS guiding documents such as NMSF,HIV/AIDS policy, MKUKUTA and HIV/AIDS act of 2008.

14. Achievements attained so far • About 40% of VSO partners have developed HIV/AIDS workplace programmes • Through WPP, the knowledge among staff on HIV/AIDS issues have been raised. • Change of attitude on HIV/AIDS matters including condom use • Increasing rate of behaviour change by practicing safe sex • Increasing rate of Voluntary HIV testing among staff

15. Challenges • Inadequate resources for implementing HIV/AIDS programmes in the work place among CSOs • Less knowledge among CSO’s on rationale for developing WPP • Lack of baseline information prior establishing interventions on HIV/AIDS • Lack of effective M&E for WPP • There is still stigma and discrimination among workers

16. Recommendations • Enforcement of policy, strategies and law for HIV WPP to be part of all corporate policy • Situational analysis should be conducted prior to interventions • CSO should be considered to receive funding for WPP • Advocacy (Govt, CSO) to development partners to fund WPP as part of the program • Need to ensure interventions are linked and result based especially for MDA

17. Summary of experience in national response • Community interventions increased, hard to reach areas remains suffering. Critical shortage of appropriate IEC and moving to skills based education than awareness • Participation in policy formulation improved, but still passive. Few district plans involve CSOs and few CSOs involve LGA • Largely activity based that strategic and not necessarily focused on NMSF targets • Capacity to design strategic interventions & monitoring challenging. Access to technology & challenging for CBO • Funding largely increased, but remained small mainly for programs with no core cost covered • Effective coordination among CSO still challenging but the start has been established. receiving less support! “Often big bang”

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