Fighting AIDS at workplace

TUC Aid launches capacity building initiative to combat HIV/AIDS in Nigeria

The first Meeting of the Steering Committee of the Building Workplace Capacity to combat HIV/AIDS in Nigeria Project held on 17 August 2009 at the Bolton White Hotel, Abuja, marked the launch of the initiative funded by the UK Department for International Development through TUC Aid.

The Meeting was attended by the General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), representatives of the six participating unions - Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) in the health sector and the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Non- Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, (NAUEAI), Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANP), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) in the education sector, Project Co-ordinator, Project Administrator and Head of Health and Safety in the NLC. Bandula Kothalawala, TUC International Officer, represented TUC Aid. In his opening remarks, John Odah, NLC General Secretary, commended TUC Aid for supporting the unions in the sectors concerned in their efforts to build workplace capacity to combat the pandemic and assured full co-operation and support in the implementation of the Project.

Bandula Kothalawala, in his presentation to the Steering Committee, highlighted the expected outcomes of the Project, outlined the proposed activities and detailed the arrangements put in place for project implementation. Maureen Onya, in her presentation, gave an outline of key objectives and explained the roles and responsibilities of the partners and key stakeholders.

The three-year Project costing £500,000 designed to build workplace capacity to fight HIV/AIDS will raise awareness of the risks of infection through training and education, promote employment rights and entitlements of workers infected with HIV/AIDS or affected by it and mobilise support for the elimination of discrimination and stigma associated with the disease. A baseline study is to be carried out by the Institute of Research of the Ahmed Bello University in Zaria as part of the monitoring and evaluation of the impact of the Project. A voluntary counselling and confidential testing (VCCT) centre will be established at a primary health care centre, Abuja, as a pilot initiative in 2010. The VCCT Centre will be an innovative feature of the Project and is expected to help overcome reservations among workers on HIV/AIDS tests and lead to early diagnosis, treatment, care and support in the local community. The national lobbying campaign on anti-discrimination legislation will strengthen the advocacy in favour of the adoption of the Bill on Stigma and Discrimination on PLHIV to protect the rights and entitlements of workers.

Esther Fowora and Chinwe Anamege have been appointed Project Co-ordinator and Project Administrator, respectively and are based in the NLC Head Office in Abuja.