       Document 0658
 DOCN  M9610658
 TI    How have Zambian businesses reacted to the HIV epidemic?
 DT    9601
 AU    Baggaley R; Godfrey-Faussett P; Msiska R; Chilangwa D; Chitu E; Porter
       J; Kelly M; Kara Counselling and Training Trust, Lusaka, Zambia.
 SO    Occup Environ Med. 1995 Sep;52(9):565-9. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE
       MED/96030731
 AB    OBJECTIVES--To evaluate the impact of HIV on businesses in Zambia and to
       assess attitudes towards HIV and HIV education in the workplace.
       METHODS--The personnel managers of 33 companies with a total workforce
       of 10,204 in Lusaka and in towns in the Copperbelt were visited by two
       members of the study team. The study was discussed and a questionnaire
       about the impact of HIV on their company was explained and left for
       completion from company records. RESULTS--All 33 questionnaires were
       returned. HIV was recognised to be a problem by 30 companies questioned.
       Seven said that it had affected recruitment and 11 production. 23
       companies carried out pre-employment medicals. 17 companies demanded
       that some or all of their employees had an HIV test before employment.
       Nine companies were sure that a positive HIV test would prevent
       employment, 15 were unsure saying that there was no particular company
       policy. Two companies had recently changed their policy and had stopped
       discriminating against those with HIV. 12 companies had some HIV
       educational material available for their employees and five had someone
       (or an organisation that they used) to whom they could refer employees
       for HIV information and advice. Condoms were provided free to staff by
       five of the companies. All thought that HIV education in the workplace
       was an appropriate intervention. Mortality data showed a sevenfold
       increase in the crude mortality from 0.25-1.8 per 100 person-years from
       1987-93, and an increasing trend in reported deaths from AIDS and HIV
       related conditions. CONCLUSIONS--HIV is having an important impact in
       the workplace in urban Zambia. Although many companies insist on
       pre-employment medicals, often including HIV testing, few have developed
       policies relating to test results. Some companies have instituted HIV
       education but there is a demand for this service to be available more
       widely. There has been a striking increase in mortalities in this
       working population, which seems likely to be related to HIV, although
       the cause of most deaths was not recorded.
 DE    *Attitude to Health  AIDS Serodiagnosis/STATISTICS & NUMER DATA  Cause
       of Death  *Commerce  *Disease Outbreaks  Health Education/STATISTICS &
       NUMER DATA  Human  HIV Infections/EPIDEMIOLOGY/*PSYCHOLOGY
       *Occupational Health  Personnel Selection  Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
       Zambia/EPIDEMIOLOGY  JOURNAL ARTICLE

       SOURCE: National Library of Medicine.  NOTICE: This material may be
       protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).

