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Manzini commemorates World AIDS Day
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OVER 300 people on Friday participated during the Manzini World AIDS Day commemoration.
This was organised by the municipal council in collaboration with AIDS Health Foundation and the corporate sector.
Brigadier Sisusa Dlamini who represented army commander Sobantu Dlamini, called on everyone to participate in the fight against HIV and AIDS. He said the pandemic affected everyone, including the employed, employers, be it civil society or the corporate world. He said even the uniformed services were also affected greatly by HIV and AIDS. He said in response to the fight, employers had a responsibility of caring for their workers so they maintain a healthy and strong work force. “When worker falls sick, the employer has to find a replacement and still pay the one who is sick and also when one dies the employer loses a skilled personnel,” he said.
The brigadier said it was on this premise that employers should ensure they have programmes in place to deal with the wellness of employees. He said HIV posed a challenge to the work force.
He said studies indicated that in the next five years, half of the people who are working now will have fallen sick or dead if not too sick. “Employers should come up with comprehensive HIV and AIDS policies that will help their employees access testing care and treatment as early as possible so they do not get sick and be off sick for six months because they have tuberculosis,” said the brigadier.
He said it had proven that if ARVs were started earlier, HIV could be controlled and that ouldl result to people being able to go to work, earn salaries and take care of their families, including children. He said this could reduce the number of orphaned and vulnerable children in the country that have since been the order of the day.
“As Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Force (USDF), we have a comprehensive HIV and AIDS staff wellness programme because we cannot afford to have sick soldiers, for they need to be strong,” he said.
This was organised by the municipal council in collaboration with AIDS Health Foundation and the corporate sector.
Brigadier Sisusa Dlamini who represented army commander Sobantu Dlamini, called on everyone to participate in the fight against HIV and AIDS. He said the pandemic affected everyone, including the employed, employers, be it civil society or the corporate world. He said even the uniformed services were also affected greatly by HIV and AIDS. He said in response to the fight, employers had a responsibility of caring for their workers so they maintain a healthy and strong work force. “When worker falls sick, the employer has to find a replacement and still pay the one who is sick and also when one dies the employer loses a skilled personnel,” he said.
The brigadier said it was on this premise that employers should ensure they have programmes in place to deal with the wellness of employees. He said HIV posed a challenge to the work force.
He said studies indicated that in the next five years, half of the people who are working now will have fallen sick or dead if not too sick. “Employers should come up with comprehensive HIV and AIDS policies that will help their employees access testing care and treatment as early as possible so they do not get sick and be off sick for six months because they have tuberculosis,” said the brigadier.
He said it had proven that if ARVs were started earlier, HIV could be controlled and that ouldl result to people being able to go to work, earn salaries and take care of their families, including children. He said this could reduce the number of orphaned and vulnerable children in the country that have since been the order of the day.
“As Umbutfo Swaziland Defence Force (USDF), we have a comprehensive HIV and AIDS staff wellness programme because we cannot afford to have sick soldiers, for they need to be strong,” he said.
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