INTRODUCTION
The extent of the crisis facing South Africa is summed up by the statistical projection that one in every five workers in South Africa will be HIV positive by the year 2005.
The implications of its cost in human and economic terms to our country cannot be underestimated given that the current life expectancy of a person infected with HIV varies from one to three years. But with support and care, life expectancy can increase to more than 10 years.
Government last year established a Cabinet committee, chaired by the then Deputy President, to mobilise all the government departments to participate in the campaign.
The campaign's major thrusts are:
ROLE FOR TRANSPORT
Transport has a crucial role to play as we come in to contact with millions of people every day and some of the people working in our sector are in the highest risk groups for exposure to infection by HIV/AIDS.
Mobilisation in Transport has been on three levels:
At this stage, and without dedicated human and financial resources, we have focussed on prevention impact campaigns (for example peer education and condom distribution) rather than activity campaigns (the only activity focus is around World AIDS Day) because the AIDS epidemic needs sustained effort as it requires changes in both attitudes and behaviour.
To organise effectively and build capacity in a campaign to set up prevention campaigns and deal with the specific needs of people living with AIDS/HIV in each sector, we have organised sector-by-sector meetings in targeted areas; building up partnerships between government, employers and employees that can be sustained in and by that sector. In each sector we have sought to locate the project in a structure that is run by both employers and employees to ensure joint ownership of the campaign (for example industry training boards).
We have emphasised the imperative of working together across companies in a sector and sharing resources rather than attempting to fight this pandemic on a piecemeal, in-house, company-to-company basis. We must strategically target our resources to have an impact and to get quicker results.
The Transport campaign will hopefully in the long-term come together under one slogan. The current suggestion is "Don't carry AIDS home" to be used with the Red Ribbon and the help-line number.
SECTORS REQUIRING ORGANISATION
1. The Department of Transport and its stakeholders
A committee was formed that represents the ministry, the department, the four agencies and three of the parastatals that report to the Minister (ACSA, SARCC and Intersite) last year.
This committee has organised two training courses (Train the Trainer and Train the Counsellor) in all represented organisations and worked on policy for people living with HIV/AIDS in their organisations. Policy has been accepted in five of the organisations and the three other organisation's policies are still in draft form waiting final approval from management after consultation with employee structures. Policy needs to be put in place at both the Road Accident Fund and ATNS.
The committee also facilitates in-house awareness campaigns on HIV/AIDS and the distribution of information and condoms.
2. The Road Freight industry
This sector was targeted first as it is generally regarded as the highest risk sector in the Transport industry due to the long periods of time that truckers spend away from home and the high mobility of its workers. Furthermore, for obvious reasons, the spread of HIV/AIDS across the world follows transport corridors (be they land, sea or air).
"Trucking Against AIDS", a prevention and education programme, was launched by the previous Minister of Transport Mac Maharaj on 13 April this year. It is housed in the bargaining council of the Road Freight industry and is supported by a steering committee from the industry and unions under the chair of the Minister with the involvement of the Cross-Border and Roads agencies, Engen and Mercedes Benz.
The three trainers completed their training in July and have started peer educator programmes in trucking companies and management training workshops to sensitise them on prevention, policy and care issues. The peer educators from the companies will then educate colleagues and fellow workers at the truck stops.
Engen conducted an audit of the road freight industry to determine the target areas: the N3 (Durban to Johannesburg) and the N1 (Johannesburg to Messina) have the highest volume of trucks, people and goods.
An audit was also been conducted of current policies in the industry for people living with AIDS/HIV and what prevention programmes are already in place. The Bargaining Council is negotiating a draft that will be the policy document for the whole industry.
3. The Rail sector
Spoornet, MetroRail, SARCC and Intersite are ideally placed to organise major public awareness campaigns on trains and stations to target the millions of people who use their facilities daily.
Following a ministerial meeting, SARCC, Intersite and MetroRail have agreed to work together on a station-based campaign targeted at the daily rail commuter. Approximately 2 million people go through their stations daily. It was agreed to focus on three stages:
AN AIDS TRAIN/COACH ON EACH COMMUTER NETWORK. SARCC is investigating the possibility that one train or a coach on each train that is to be refurbished will be painted red with the ribbon and help-line number to raise public awareness of HIV/AIDS.
CONDOM DISTRIBUTION AT THE MAJOR COMMUTER STATIONS. The pilot condom distribution project is at Park Station in Johannesburg and the major intermodal transport nodes will be targeted next.
Contracting an advertising company to raise sponsorships for A POSTER AND STICKER CAMPAIGN AND MURALS at the larger urban stations.
Spoornet is the other major player in the rail sector, but attempts to liaise with them on common projects have been unsuccessful to date. Intersite and SARCC staff have been through the Department of Transport's AIDS training programme.
4. Ports and Shipping
The Maritime Training Board is currently investigating setting up a project similar to Trucking Against AIDS.
A meeting of representatives of the shipping industry in Durban on 25 May 1999 agreed that the Maritime Industry Training Board will start an across-sector campaign in Durban, which was targeted as the largest port in South Africa and is one of the highest infection area in the country.
The Minister will be addressing both Johannesburg and Cape Town maritime stakeholders in early August to get their support for an AIDS campaign in their areas. Projects would need to be established at the other ports once the Durban project is up and running.
SAMSA (the Maritime Safety Authority), which reports to the Minister of Transport, will play an active role in it. SAMSA has agreed to participate in an UNAIDS project on Durban harbour, which is based at UND.
5. Aviation
Aviation is a complex area to organise as hundreds of different companies and organisations converge on our airports.
Three major initiatives are in place:
The Airports Company (ACSA) staff has done the training programme and has education and condom distribution systems internally.
Millions of people pass through our airports every year making them a good site for public education campaigns. ACSA has agreed to put up condom vending machines in their airports and using advertising space for AIDS messages (such as flight display units).
A ministerial meeting was held with the domestic airlines and through their organisation, the Southern African Association of Airlines, they are establishing a working committee to set up a training programme that will cut across all the airlines operating in this region.
To properly organise this sector, peer education campaigns are required in the various airports so that all the stakeholders (especially baggage and cargo handlers) can become part of the partnership.
6. Passenger Transport
Stations, bus terminals and taxi ranks would be important for a mass public awareness campaign. In the short-term we propose to target commuter stations that are intermodal transport links in our rail campaign so that we can maximise the effect across transport modes (ie taxis and buses) and geographic areas. But in the long-term we must aim to get to the major taxi ranks and bus stations.
7. The Road Construction industry
A forum for this industry needs to be convened to highlight the issue to both the companies and the unions. Policy for people living with AIDS/HIV is crucial in this sector. The Minister has raised the matter with the NRA.
The NRA has included HIV/AIDS education as part of the training programmes in the tender contracts for major national road projects.
The NRA is also able to inform and constantly update the Department of Health on a notification system of major road projects so that they can do community health work in the area.
IMMEDIATE GOALS: Internal organisation:
Work-place Policy on People living with HIV/AIDS in place in Department, the agencies (CAA, NRA, SAMSA and X-Border) and the parastatals (ACSA, ATNS, Intersite, SARCC and RAF) [IN PROGRESS]
Training for Trainers and Counsellors in all organisations for awareness, prevention and support work in-house [DONE]
Provide condoms and awareness material in all work places [DONE]
IMMEDIATE GOALS: External organisation
Launch Trucking Against AIDS [DONE]
Start prevention campaigns at major stations and airports [IN PROGRESS]
Harbour project in Durban [IN PROGRESS]
Airline campaign [IN PROGRESS]
LONG TERM GOALS:
A Forum in the construction industry on HIV/AIDS
A comprehensive passenger transport HIV/AIDS prevention campaign aimed at urban commuters and long-distance travellers
A partnership within the SADC region to carry the campaign and message across our borders
A Transport Pledge, covering all sectors in the industry and all the transport unions, on HIV/AIDS
DIDI MOYLE
3 August 1999