How employers can participate in fight against HIV

The United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) set targets of diagnosing 95 percent of individuals living with HIV, ensuring 95 percent of diagnosed individuals receive antiretroviral therapy (ART), and maintaining suppressed viral loads for 95 percent of those on ART.

In 2021, President Samia Suluhu Hassan launched the nation’s fifth multisectoral strategic framework for HIV and AIDS. Tanzania aspires to realise the “three zeros” by 2026—zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths.

Convened by the Association of Tanzania Employers (ATE) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), a symposium brought together employers, labour bodies, and government representatives to deliberate on the Private Sector’s role in achieving these critical goals.

Ms Suzanne Ndomba-Doran, ATE’s Executive Director, highlighted the necessity of dialogue on addressing diseases, especially in workplaces.

“We convened employers to discuss interventions against HIV/AIDS and how to achieve our 2026 and 2030 goals,” she noted.

Mr Edmund Moshy, Senior Programme Officer at the ILO’s East Africa office, highlighted the lag in implementing interventions for goal attainment. “The private sector can contribute by formulating policies and programmes to combat diseases such as HIV/AIDS in workplaces. This entails initiating self-testing, imparting employee education, and rendering economic support to victims.”

Ms. Valleth Ndenza, representing the labour commissioner, underlined the need for comprehensive collaborative efforts among employers, stakeholders, and experts in tackling diseases and revisiting legal aspects of employee relations. Mr Jumanne Isango, Director of Advocacy and Information at the Tanzania AIDS Commission (TACAIDS), accentuated the importance of private-public collaboration in safeguarding employee well-being.

Isango pointed out that studies indicated a significant portion of infections affected young individuals (40 percent), with 80 percent of these being girls, a substantial workforce demographic.

“This is the largest group that is also very active in the labour force, so it is important to remind all employers to pay attention to this matter,” he noted.

The Trade Union Congress of Tanzania (TUCTA) advocated for employers to allocate dedicated funds for addressing both infectious and non-infectious ailments among their workforce, independent of external aid.

The union called for the provision of self-testing equipment to workers, accompanied by educational efforts to enhance health awareness.

“We would like workers to be given self-testing equipment because many are afraid to do so publicly for fear of being stigmatised.” He added that this procedure should be accompanied by education so that people know their health status in advance.