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INNOVATIVE WORKPLACE SUPPORT
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Intro | Delivery Model | Targeted Clients |
| Prevention | Care | Awareness Training | Management Training |
| The Development of a Workplace Policy | Counselling | Testing |
| Treatment | Support | Capacity Building Project |
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Siyakhana is an international benchmark project that provides participating small and medium sized companies in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, with tangible HIV and AIDS awareness, counselling, testing, treatment, care, support and impact mitigation.
The project is an innovative partnership between Mercedes-Benz South Africa, the Border-Kei Chamber of Business and German development agency, Deutsche Investitions und Entwicklungestellscaft (DEG) that commenced in 2006. DEG co-financed the project with public funds from Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development. HIV positive employees receive treatment through a general practitioner network, receive ongoing support through a patient training programme and ongoing counselling all funded by BroadReach Healthcare LLC through a PEPFAR grant. The programme extends to partners and family members.
Siyakhana's website has been established to provide our client companies, their staff, our partners and prospective clients with an overview of what we do and to provide a repository of information that can assist businesses and individuals to manage HIV and AIDS as a business risk in a structured, focused and sustainable manner.
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PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP
This is a fundamental cornerstone of the Siyakhana Project delivery model and the project work closely with local government clinics and has an MOU with the Eastern Cape Department of Health for HIV and AIDS treatment services and capacity building at clinic level.
In the ramp up to the establishment the project champions Mercedes-Benz South Africa and the Border-Kei Chamber of Business engaged with both local and provincial government and the Eastern Cape AIDS Council in order to deliver a model that complements their efforts.
TREATMENT
Siyakhana advocates a higher treatment rate of HIV positive people in the area in which it works. Numerous clients report sickly employees too weak to engage in their previous work activities who after being on ART regain levels of health that allow them to resume their work for years. Keeping people healthy and economically active is an cornerstone of the project. |
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The Siyakhana Project offers a comprehensive service to companies to assist them manage the risk of HIV and AIDS in their workplaces. Below is an overview of the services Siyakhana offers SMEs or click here to download a PDF presentation.
PREVENTION
• Awareness training to all staff
• Management training on best practice in handling HIV and AIDS in the workplace
• The development of a workplace policy
• Promotion and distribution of condoms
• Peer Educator Training
CARE
• Counselling
• Testing (on-site and off-site)
• Treatment
• Support
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| Knowledge, attitudes and behaviour around HIV and AIDS places many people at high risk and the Siyakhana Project’s awareness training provides information that ranges from prevention through to the importance of testing and treatment. The training advocates that reduced stigma and denial around HIV and AIDS are necessary components of prevention. Trained nurses offer the training and also conduct the testing. The continuity from awareness through training to counselling increases testing rates. |
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| Management training places HIV and AIDS in a risk management paradigm and discourages discrimination and denial. It also emphasises that workplace responses to HIV and AIDS need to be sustained as there is a correlation between ongoing awareness within workplaces and reduced risk behaviour. |
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THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WORKPLACE POLICY
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This process identifies a structured approach to HIV and AIDS in the workplace and also identifies focal persons within companies who will champion the company’s ongoing attention to HIV and AIDS.
It also identifies and trains peer educators who provide information, support and encourage best practice responses to HIV and AIDS amongst their peers. |
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Taking an HIV test when you know your behaviour places you at risk of being positive is an incredibly scary thought and so prior to testing our staff counsel employees on the advantages of knowing their status. Some of the joys of our work are when people believe the test could return positive and it returns negative.
Our intention with HIV positive employees and family members is to provide them with access to top quality treatment and support. |
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| Siyakhana uses both invasive and non-invasive rapid testing methods to accommodate those who may have a fear of being pricked with a needle. Our testing methods provide accurate readings. |
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HIV positive employees access a specially trained general practitioner network which enables them to minimise absence from work and receive a high level of health care.
Employees and family members can select a GP that satisfies their confidentiality concerns. This approach addresses the reality that on-site HIV treatment for employees is often unsuccessful because of the pervasive stigma attached to the disease and that treatment at public sector services is fraught with delays and long queues.
Patient training is a critical component of treatment and HIV positive employees and a friend or colleague of their choice attend two weekend training sessions which address the importance of compliance when on treatment which continues for life, and of living positively. Overall healthy living is advocated.
The cost of anti-retroviral and related medication, general practitioner consultation, laboratory and related cost as well as disease management services (including clinical monitoring and ongoing support to treating doctors) are carried by BroadReach Healthcare LLC through a PEPFAR grant. The treatment programme is based on guidelines provided by the National Department of Health. |
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| Siyakhana provides ongoing support to companies through regular focal person meetings and to HIV positive employees and their dependants through the treatment network and ongoing counselling services. |
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CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECT
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Siyakhana was designed as a project to assist small and medium businesses to manage the impacts of HIV and AIDS on their employees and businesses. However, it soon became clear that company-level HIV and AIDS initiatives, would be of limited success if they were not coupled with assisting government with much needed improvement of health care systems and services and so a capacity building project in the public sector was implemented.
This has seen seven nurses and seven counsellors deployed in clinics in Buffalo City to provide dedicated HIV and AIDS services and to assist in clinic service more broadly. The identified clinics are: John Dube Clinic in Scenery Park, Berlin Clinic, Newlands Clinic, Needs Camp Clinic, Zone 5 Clinic, Zwelitsha, Philani Clinic in Zone 1, Mdantsane and Zone 16 Clinic, Mdantsane. In January 2010 the capacity building programme will be expanded from the current 7 to 12 clinics.
For more information on the methodology and successes of the capacity building project click here to download a PDF file.
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