Preliminary Recommendations for Limpopo Province

1. SABCOHA BUSINESS SECTOR CONFERENCE Preliminary Recommendations for Limpopo Province Buyi Hlabano 28 September 2011

2. PROVISION OF FEMALE CONDOMS Provide female condoms at company sites to support mainstreaming of prevention efforts

3. TREATMENT AS STRATEGYPromote early detection of HIV and TB for referral and enrolment on ART and INH prophylaxis

4. HIV WORKPLACE PROGRAMMES AS MINIMUM STANDARD FOR COMPANIESAdvocate for companies with 50 or more employees to have HIV workplace programmes. Leverage Capacity Development programme from SABCOHA for support

5. INTEGRATION OF SERVICES TO DESTIGMATISE HIV IN THE WORKPLACEAddress issues of tigma in the workplace by incorporating a Wellness approach that integrates health issues

6. TEST AND REPORTHIV counselling and testing and broader health risk assessment to be accompanied by reporting to government through the sectoral reporting tool Bizwell

7. POLICY REVIEW TO BE ALIGNED TO RESEARCH AND BEST PRACTICE Company policy to be informed by evidence based research and aligned to national objectives e.g. MMC, STI treatment

8. COMPREHENSIVE SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS AND RISK ASSESSMENTKnow your epidemic and design programmes based on risk elements. Evaluate to constantly remain relevant to drivers of the epidemic

9. SUPPORT FOR PEER EDUCATORS/ CHAMPIONS Train peer educators and provide ongoing support and motivation

10. LEADERSHIP TO ENSURE ACTION AND INTEGRATIONVisible leadership from Board's and executive management resulting in integrated, multi-disciplinary workplace policies and procedures

11. INVESTMENT IN QUALITY OF HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN THE WORKPLACEImproved HIV and TB training to be provided to health care workers, particularly around HAART and DOTS

12. Sectoral Level Interventions

13. PROVISION OF CONDOMS BY THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY As the gateway into other countries the hospitality industry in Limpopo should provide condoms at every establishment as a standard

14. GUIDELINES FOR TRAINING OF PEER EDUCATORSSet guidelines for the training of Peer Educators to promote consistency and uniformity. Ultimate goal being a unit standard

15. INVEST AND ALIGNCSI to support NGO’s working on HIV related programmes in communities -OVC, HBC, DOTS support, HIV prevention, micro lending projects

16. ADVOCATE FOR BETTER ACCESS TO PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICESBusiness to lobby government for extended service hours and effective mobile clinics

17. GENDER MAINSTREAMING IN THE WORKPLACEGender mainstreaming programmes in the workplace to include interventions targeting men and boys for increased gender parity

18. CALL FOR MORE COOPERATIVES AND MICRO FINANCE INITIATIVESIndirectly address drivers of HIV through the support of community based initiatives such as cooperatives and micro lending that fight poverty and increase economic sustainability of communities

19. IDENTIFY HIGH TRANSMISSION HOTSPOTS FOR PREVENTION INTERVENTIONSHigh transition sites with high concentration of populations at risk e.g. truck drivers, sex workers, shebeens, to be targeted with prevention interventions such as condom distribution, condom negotiating skills etc.

20. ADVOCATE FOR DUAL TREATMENT OF TB AND HIVPromote provider initiated assessment and testing at every health facility to increase dual access to TB and HIV treatment

21. COMMUNICATION AND SECTOR COORDINATIONProvincial strategies ensure coordination of the business sector and achieve alignment across sectors, business representatives to sit on district and provincial aids councils. Publish newsletters and provide contemporary information

22. Multi-sectoral Level Interventions

23. INCORPORATION OF TRADITIONAL HEALTH PRACTITIONERSBusiness and government to acknowledge the need to work with traditional health practitioners by providing education and training to promote early referral and increased compliance e.g. ART and TB treatment

24. SUPPORT FOR FORMULATION OF COOPERATIVESSupport economic development that promotes retention of men in the province decreasing migration and strengthening communities

25. MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF WORKPLACE PROGRAMMESCompanies to align to national and provincial strategies such as the HCT campaign by reporting to government through initiatives such as Bizwell. Government to develop its interface with business systems for consolidated understanding of the burden of disease

26. REDUCTION OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY IN THE PROVINCEMentorship programmes that support girl child and child headed households to mitigate further pregnancies and promote back to school initiatives for teen and young mothers

27. INTER-COUNTRY POLICY TO MANAGE CROSS BORDER INFECTIONDevelopment of policy with neighbouring countries to offer TB and HIV treatment to short term or long term migrants and visitors into the neighbouring countries

28. IMPROVE TREATMENT COMPLIANCERigorous referral and follow up mechanisms that ensure initiation at CD4 of 350 requiring effective communication between sectors

29. PUBLIC HEALTH FACILITIES TO SUPPORT REMOTE RURAL ENTERPRISESRural workplaces to identify and build relations with public health facilities to promote systematic referral for those not on medical aid and in need of treatment-PHC, ARV,TB, STI

30. SUPPORT SMME’SPartner with structures that support SMME development and integrate HIV related service to strengthen the sector response. Achieved through greater penetration of SABCOHA’s BizAIDS programme

31. PLEASE VOTE