MAINSTREAMING HIV INTERVENTIONS IN INDUSTRIES AND COMMERCE: A BLUE CHIP INITIATIVE OF KSACS IN EXTENDING THE RESPONSE TO HIV/AIDS BEYOND HEALTH SECTOR

[BEST PRACTICE DOCUMENTATION UNIT OF KSACS]

MAINSTREAMING HIV INTERVENTIONS IN INDUSTRIES AND COMMERCE: A BLUE
CHIP INITIATIVE OF KSACS IN EXTENDING THE RESPONSE TO HIV/AIDS BEYOND
HEALTH SECTOR
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Civil Society Mainstreaming is a strategic activity of the Kerala
State AIDS Control Society for extending the response to HIV/AIDS
beyond health sector programs, to address multi-dimensional factors
that influence vulnerability to HIV as well as the causes and
consequences of HIV transmission. Mainstreaming HIV intervention, in
and through the Department of Industries and Commerce, Government of
Kerala is a radiant programme of Mainstreaming Division of KSACS in
extending the response to other segments of the Society.

From the very beginning, the Mainstreaming Division has been striving
to secure vigorous involvement of various departments of the State
Government in its HIV interventions. KSACS assumes that such
involvement will certainly increase the efficiency and efficacy of HIV/
AIDS initiatives by maximizing opportunities to work together,
strengthen networks and share resources across programmes and
departments. The enchanted success of mainstreaming efforts with the
Industries and Commerce Department inspired KSACS to identify more
arenas to fight with the drastic epidemic.

The Industries & Commerce Department is the functional arm of the
Government of Kerala for implementing various industrial activities of
the State. The Department has the power to influence authorities of
various Industries and Corporate Managements functions in the State,
to contribute to HIV prevention initiatives.

KSACS and the Department realized that the epidemic has a direct
impact on the profitability of industries. In the worst case scenario,
the epidemic can cause for greater absenteeism and staff turnover,
which insist for more investment in recruitment and training costs,
costs for medical care and insurance coverage, retirement funds, etc.
It will also negatively affect morale and productivity among
employees. Human rights violation may also happen to the infected
employees in the work place due to the associated stigma and
discrimination.

In fact, industrial establishments and corporate managements have an
enormous stake in the fight against HIV/AIDS, an epidemic that affects
their workforce and, if left unchecked, can rob them of their workers
and their markets. They can gain from supporting interventions aimed
at preventing HIV both at the workplace and in local communities—and
from taking early decisive action while there is still opportunity to
prevent a generalized epidemic. Moreover, they can bring critical
advantages to these efforts, including management skills, resources,
and influence over the general workforce.

Through the mainstreaming efforts with the Industries & Commerce
Department, KSACS aimed to realize the industries and commercial
institutions in the State, on the causes and effects of HIV/AIDS to
their sector and encourage them to respond, based on its comparative
advantage to limit the spread of HIV and to mitigate its impact. The
outcomes of the efforts are encouraging, as many of the industrial
establishments in the State started initiatives to support the HIV/
AIDS intervention programmes at workplace and in local communities
where they are located.

The Department of Industries and Commerce have approved an action plan
for mainstreaming HIV intervention in the Industries Department and
Public Sector Undertakings and issued a Government Order for the same.
Based on this Order, almost all the major industries under the
Industries & Commerce Department, Govt. of Kerala, have initiated HIV/
AIDS activities as per the guideline issued by Steering Committee
constituted at the Department Level with the technical support of
KSACS. The guideline insists them to form Industrial Unit Level
Project Coordination Committees and appoint a Nodal officer to
coordinate the programmes. About thirty institutions have selected
Nodal Officers to initiate appropriate action and formed the
Coordination Committees. About half of these institutions developed
their own HIV intervention policies that give a sense of direction and
focus for the HIV related activities. Auto Cast Ltd., The Kerala
Ceramics Ltd., Steel complex Ltd., Kerala clays & ceramics Products
Ltd., Traco Cable Company, Kerala Metals and Minerals Ltd, etc. are
some of the pioneering institutions in developing HIV policy as per
the guideline. All these institutions actively involve in the World
AIDS Day observances and conducted HIV/AIDS awareness programmes for
the benefits of their employees and the local community. Many of these
institutions started Voluntary Blood Donation Forums to develop
regular blood donation habit among their employees so as to contribute
to the HIV prevention programmes in the State by ensuring safe blood.
Some of these institutions established linkage with Prathyasa Kendrams
(DICs) in the districts and started supporting them in stigma
reduction initiatives, promotion of income generation programmes,
educational support to the affected children, etc. The heartening
report from the State is that several more industries are expressing
their interest in starting HIV intervention, and it is expected that
all industries and commercial institutions in the State will put HIV
in their agenda before the end of NACP-III.

Anyway, the mainstreaming HIV intervention in the Industries &
Commerce Department, Govt. of Kerala, is very inspiring and
encouraging endeavor that paves way for extending the response to HIV/
AIDS beyond health sector programs. There is no doubt that these
efforts will become a model for others in mainstreaming HIV to the
civil society and will foster a more active and productive response
from the business community. In a country as large as India, more
active engagement of the industrial sector is critical to achieve the
scale of intervention needed to get ahead of HIV and AIDS.

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BEST PRACTICE DOCUMENTATION UNIT
IEC DIVISION, KERALA STATE AIDS CONTROL SOCIETY
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, KERALA
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Management Support by:
Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust (HLFPPT)
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