Integrating HIV and COVID-19 prevention programmes for safer workplaces

What can be done to maintain the protection of workers, their families and their surrounding communities against both COVID-19 and HIV pandemics? One company, PT Cilegon Fabricators, has successfully taken measures to integrate prevention programmes both pandemics.

Employing a total of 1,126 workers, of whom 1,100 are male workers, PT Cilegon Fabricators has actively implemented HIV prevention programme at the workplace since 2006. The company, located in Serang, Banten, has conducted a variety of HIV programmes, covering peer counselors, voluntarily HIV test programme (VCT@Work), HIV education programmes and incorporation of HIV issues into company’s occupational safety and health (OSH) mechanism.

“With this current pandemic, we have integrated HIV prevention programme with COVID-19 programme. This is to ensure a safe workplace and a protection for both our workers and the management,” explained dr Irwan Wicaksono, HSE Manager and Company Doctor of PT Cilegon Fabricators.

He shared the good practice of PT Cilegon Fabricators before 500 people viewing the webinar on 10 November, jointly conducted by ILO in collaboration with the Ministry of Manpower, the Ministry of Health and the National OSH Council. The webinar marked the fourth out of eight Tuesday webinars, aimed to increase the awareness on HIV/AIDS prevention at workplace during the pandemic, encourage more good practices from companies and support the integration of HIV/AIDS into the government’s OSH National Strategy 2021-2025.

Benefits of the integrated programmes

The integrated programmes conducted by PT Cilegon Fabricators include an integrated education programme combining educational materials for both HIV and COVID-19, an integrated training programme for various departments, including the OSH team and an integrated testing programme for both VCT@work and rapid test.

“These integrated programmes are also cost effective for the company,” said dr Irwan.

Not only cost effective, dr Adi Sasongko, an expert from Kusuma Buana Foundation, a local NGO working on HIV/AIDS at the workplace, highlighted other benefits from this integrated programme. “As most of our attention are drawn to the prevention of COVID-19 pandemic, the integrated programme is a good strategy to ensure that HIV/AIDS issues are not left behind. We can deal with these two pandemics under the integrated programmes,” he said.

In addition, the company also implements social distancing, use of masks and temperature checks. Guests from outside the company area are required to take a rapid or swab test before being allowed to enter the company’s premises.

“Due to the nature of our company, we are not able to implement teleworking for our workers. Thus, we really take serious protective and preventive measures for our workers and we work closely with a local health service. These integrated programmes are also cost effective for the company,” added dr Irwan.

A stronger collaboration with local health services

With support from the local public health service, the company has provided a quarantine facility for 12 workers infected by COVID-19. Yenni Kesuma, Head of Public Health Service (Puskemas) Pulo Ampel in Serang, Banten highlighted the importance of collaboration between the health services and the enterprises in providing adequate health care and protection in the midst of the pandemic.

Not only COVID-19, Yenni added the collaboration between public health service and companies is crucial to ensure the effectiveness of prevention programme of HIV and other related diseases. “Since early this year, we have developed a programme to improve our coordination with companies in the surrounding area of our health service,” said Yenni.

Through this collaboration, both enterprise and health service could support one another in the counselling programmes, preparedness of VCT@Work and rapid test and the availability of treatment. “I hope more companies will follow the footstep of PT Cilegon Fabricators to open their doors for a collaborative effort with local health service,” she concluded.