HIV/AIDS OVERVIEW

Debswana’s HIV/AIDS programme dates as far back as 1988/89, coming in response to the first cases of AIDS seen in the company hospitals in 1987 at Jwaneng hospital and 1989 at Orapa hospital. During that time focus was mainly on education and awareness.

HIV/AIDS Lesson Debswana is the first company in the world to administer anti-retroviral therapy to its employees

There has been a significant evolution and advancement in the HIV/AIDS programme to a point where employees, their legally married spouses (one spouse per employee) and up to three children under the age of 21 receive 100% subsidy from the company for the cost of Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART), prophylactic and opportunistic infections treatment and related monitoring tests.

Challenges

The following challenges have been noted during implementation of the HIV/AIDS Programme

• Balancing time for HIV/AIDS interventions in the workplace and production demands and hours
• De-stigmatising and normalising HIV/AIDS and its treatment
• Sustaining prevention messages in the ARV environment
• Keeping HIV negative employees/students testing negative 
• Effective involvement the community in prevention strategies particularly traditional doctors and commercial sex workers
• Ensuring adherence to treatment and monitoring as more people register on the programme

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POLICIES AND RELATED INFORMATION