Lack of HIV Policy in SA Workplaces

June 17 - Alexander Forbes Health has brought up the subject of HIV in the South African workplace, pointing to the fact that most companies do not have a clear HIV policy in place.

Dr. Lerato Motshudi, a medical advisor for Alexander Forbes, said that many companies remain unsure on how to treat HIV and are actually afraid to broach the subject more generally.

After 20 years of battling HIV in South Africa, many companies still lack a clear and understood HIV policy, and when these policies do exist, they remain just that - a policy - and never becoming practice.

Dr. Motshudi said that "the whole issue does however need to be tackled with research and numbers."

As such, HIV policies "need to be tailored to the specific infection set of each business, taking into account how infection will impact the business and how HIV treatment will be most effective in meeting legislative, people and business goals."

Getting HIV Insurance Right

Alexander Forbes believes that 'off the shelf' HIV insurance policies won't deliver the best or most effective outcome for sufferers.

The insurance group believes that unique policies need to be created for each set of circumstances.

An example was given of trucking company with a high rate of infected drivers. One of the problems facing the company was the fact that the men would share the antiretrovirals which they received from the insurance company with their families.

Alexander Forbes felt that in order to combat this problem, they would need to appoint a doctor to work one on one with the men, to educate them about the importance of sticking to their medical regimes and monitoring their progress.

"While this cost more up front, in the long run, it was more than offset by the savings derived from a healthier workforce, especially among the drivers," said Dr. Motshudi.