Creating an Enabling Environment for Workplace Interventions: From Policy to Action

Issues: In spite of all the documented impacts of HIV at the workplace, only a small percentage of workplaces in Nigeria (the most populous country in Africa) have policies and programmes on HIV/AIDS. Issues of pre-employment testing, discrimination, confidentiality, care and support, etc are therefore mostly at the whims and caprices of employers. A bold step towards addressing this issue was the development of the National Workplace Policy on HIV/AIDS. Description: Based on an assessment identifying the need for a framework to protect HIV infected and affected workers in the workplace, a diverse range of stakeholders (Government Agencies, Labour, Employers, the Private Sector, PLWAs and NGOs) was brought together to develop the National Workplace Policy on HIV/AIDS for Nigeria through a highly participatory process. This policy was approved by the highest level of Government in Nigeria and a National Technical Working Group set up to work towards ensuring implementation of the policy at all levels. Lessons learned: Policy needs to contain clauses that deal very clearly with issues of non-compliance. To make it more actionable, there is need for policy to have legal backing especially in Nigeria where over 70% of workers are engaged in the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises sector which often do not have legal entities, systems or policies to protect employees. Involvement of all relevant stakeholders enhanced the widespread acceptance of the policy. Recommendations: The policy should be stepped all the way down to enterprise level through advocacy and capacity building. Enterprises should be assisted to adapt the policy to their peculiar situations. A review should be undertaken to fill in gaps identified - particularly in making the objectives more SMART. In moving policy the process of getting legal backing should be embarked upon. An M & E system should be put in place to track implementation.