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6. Prevention
Completion requirements
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Prevention: Education, Information, and Training
To ensure that employees and students develop the comprehensive understanding and skills needed to cope with or avoid infection through the necessary risk-reducing behavioural changes, it is essential that the educational institution allocate sufficient time within the work hours and the curriculum to assist employees and students to gain the knowledge and skills needed to prevent HIV, and if infected, to live with HIV in a safe, secure and supportive working and learning environment. The HIV and AIDS education programme should be sensitive to cultural, developmental, and socioeconomic contexts, be gender and age sensitive, involve people living with HIV, and form part of an integrated life skills curriculum where this exists. Furthermore, it should fit within an education sector conceptual framework for dealing with HIV and AIDS.
Employees
All employees will be given the opportunity to participate during working time in a planned HIV and AIDS education programme that addresses their concerns regarding coping strategies relating to risk, as well as care, treatment, and support.
This education programme will also address the following:
- Provision of factual and current information on HIV transmission and prevention;
- Helping employees assess their own risk and understand means of prevention and universal precautions;
- Provision of guidance on behaviour change;
- Addressing psychosocial issues linked to HIV and AIDS in the workplace;
- Assisting staff in maintaining productive, non-discriminatory, and stigma-free staff, student, parent, and community relations;
- Informing employees on rights and benefits of care, treatment and support provided in the institution or education service and in the local community environment;
- Including means for monitoring, evaluation, and annual review sessions;
- Will be an integral part of a coordinated educational institution's life skills curriculum where relevant;
- Will be taught by well-prepared instructors, with adequate management support;
- Will be part of required, ongoing professional development at all levels;
- And - will be the subject of consultations or negotiation between employers and employees and their representatives, and appropriate government and other stakeholders such as students, in accordance with the social dialogue provisions in section 5 of this policy.
Prevention: A Supportive, Safe, and Healthy Work Environment
The environment at the educational institution should be safe in order to prevent the transmission of HIV and be supportive of those living with HIV and/or who are affected by HIV and AIDS. Every education institution should also foster and maintain a social climate wherein health, physical and emotional well-being, non-violence and safety are an important part of everyday work and learning.
1. Non-violence
Employees will make all reasonable attempts to maintain an environment free of violence and intimidation.
2. A Code of conduct
A Code of conduct should be developed for employees, and students by means of social dialogue mechanisms, which addresses ethical behaviour at the educational institution, including the unacceptability of violence and other abuse and behaviour that discriminates against students and employees on any basis, including HIV/AIDS.
3. First Aid
Employers should ensure that first aid kits and necessary protective equipment (for example latex and heavy-duty gloves) are available for emergency use and for routine protection against the risk of HIV transmission at the educational institution at all times according to universal precautions.
4. Exposure to blood and body fluids
Administrators, other employees, and students will be trained in and will follow universal precautions, as described in order to avoid accidental exposure to blood or body fluids.
5. Management of sharps/sharp instruments
Where sharps or sharp instruments must be used for work or educational 5 purposes, the use of these items should be carefully monitored and controlled.
6. Employees with open wounds
Any wound that is bleeding or discharging should be kept covered and universal precautions should be observed.
7. Hygiene
Institutions should promote and implement rigorous hygiene and workplace health procedures per national or international norms.
8. Practical measures to support risk reduction
In addition to education, information, and training on risk reduction in accordance with section 9 of this policy, latex condoms will be available at educational institutions free or at affordable prices to employees and to secondary and tertiary level students, in accordance with national guidelines.
Testing, Confidentiality, and Disclosure
Testing and medical advice
Institution or service will not engage in the mandatory testing for HIV of employees as a condition for employment, for continued employment, or for purposes of work assignments, or benefits activities. Routine fitness testing related to employment activities will not include HIV testing.
Ensuring confidentiality
All health records, notes, and other documents that make reference to an employee or student living with HIV, including those with AIDS, should be kept confidentially in a secure place accessible only in accordance with provisions of the International Labour Organization code of practice on the protection of workers’ personal data.
Disclosure
Although disclosure should always be voluntary, it should be encouraged for purposes of support. If the information on the HIV status of an employee or student needs to be communicated by anyone other than the person concerned it should be only on the basis of their written and informed consent.