SOUTHERN AFRICAN RAILWAYS ASSOCIATION

SARA HIV/AIDS PROPOSAL

FOR SUBMISSION TO

REGIONAL HIV/AIDS PROGRAM USAID/SOUTH AFRICA

TOGETHER WE ARE BETTERJUNTOS SOMOS MELHOR

ENSEMBLE NOUS FERONS MIEUX

SARA REGIONAL SECRETARIAT67 FIFE AVENUEHARARE, ZIMBABWE

PHONE: +263-4-736777 FAX: +263-4-736813

WEBSITE: http://www.sararail.org

HIV/AIDS PROPOSAL FOR SOUTHERN AFRICAN RAILWAYS ASSOCIATION

Summary

Southern African Railways Association (SARA) is in the process of implementing its regional HIV/AIDS policy in its member railways. SARA is requesting for funding for setting up of Voluntary Counselling and Testing centres in each member railway, training of counsellors, peer educators and basic nutrition and supply of subsidized Antiretroviral drugs.

Organisation Information

In the South African Development Community (SADC) transportation of goods plays a significant role in the regional economy. If transportation costs do not change to become more competitive, regional growth will be compromised, and ultimately, poverty alleviation will be jeopardized.

To address these issues, the Southern African Railway Association (SARA) was formed in 1996 as an advocacy group for a sustainable, fair, surface transport policy in the SADC region. Members include 13 companies and organizations owning railway infrastructure and facilities, or providing or operating railway services in southern Africa. SARA’s vision is to achieve a cost effective, regionally integrated seamless and predictable railway transport service. This calls for the rail industry to improve its performance so as to meet the demands on the services. The performance of the sector is affected by morbidity, mortality and ill health retirement of its human resources. The loss of skilled and experienced labour within the industry has proved to be detrimental, as flows of goods and people are interrupted or discontinued. Replacement of highly skilled workers such as train drivers, shunters and technically skilled is not easy and may also result in a decline in services rendered. HIV/AIDs pandemic not only affect the rail workers directly but indirectly through taking time off to attend funerals or to care for sick family members.

The costs of the HIV/AIDs epidemic will be felt throughout the workforce. In the region railway administrations are responsible for paying a total wage bill that includes basic wage provision for health care, pensions, insurance, transport and housing. The replacement costs of labour will vary depending on the qualifications required for a specific operation, the level of skills employed and the availability of labour. If suitable labour is not available then training may be required. Key employees for example, train drivers, and technical operators are difficult to replace and expensive to train and are key personnel responsible for sustaining core businesses. Railway administrations bear the costs of training personnel and most training is in-house or through training boards to meet accreditation requirements. Losing such employees due to HIV/AIDs and related diseases has had adverse effects on the rail industry not only in terms of productivity losses but also in terms of investment losses.

To address the HIV/AIDs pandemic SARA is in the process of developing a regional HIV/AIDS Policy framework for implementation by its members. The policy is scheduled for tabling and adoption at the SARA Board meeting in May 2007.

Project Description

The purpose of the HIV/AIDs Policy is to ensure a consistent and equitable approach by SARA members in the prevention of HIV/AIDs among employees and their families and to the management of HIV/AIDs including the care and support of employees and their dependencies living with HIV/AIDs. SARA’s HIV/Policy has been developed in consultation with individual railways and Southern African Development Community (SADC) policies and is based on International Labour Organisation HIV/AIDs in workplace policy framework. The Policy has incorporated national, regional policies and global HIV/AIDs initiatives. The SARA HIV/AIDs Policy recognises the need of regional inter-sectoral approach and global initiatives in prevention and management of HIV/AIDs through adopting standardised HIV/AIDs overall objectives.

There has never been a study on the impact of HIV/AIDs in the rail sector in the SADC region. It then becomes a necessity for SARA to carry out the impact study before embarking on any HIV/AIDs programmes. In ensuring that, the impact of HIV/AIDs is effectively addressed the SARA HIV/AIDs programmes should include the following:

i. Nutritionii. Prevention Programmesiii. STI Preventioniv. Support for People with HIV/AIDsv. HIV/AIDs Awareness and Advocacyvi. Antiretroviral drugsvii. Monitoring and Coordination Systems for HIV/AIDsviii. Estimating the Potential Consequences of the HIV/AIDs Epidemicix. Monitoring of risk behaviour patternsx. Development of Social Indicators to Monitor the HIV Epidemicxi. Gender and HIV/AIDs in the context of Human Development Implications of the

Epidemic

Project Objectives

Inline with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional framework to mitigate the negative economic and social effects of HIV/AIDS, SARA has embarked on a development and implementation of regional rail sector HIV/AIDs Strategic Framework and Program of action for 2007-2011.

The goal of this project is to manage the cost of human resources on railway administrations by reducing mortality and ill health of railway employees and their families due to HIV/AIDs and related diseases. The management entails adoption of HIV/AIDs as part of Organizational Strategic Planning, HIV/AIDs awareness campaigns, setting up of Voluntary Counseling and Testing centres in every SARA member, training of counselors, peer educators and trainers, nutritional counseling and provision of subsidized antiretroviral drugs to employees and their families and provision of health food baskets to employees living with HIV/AIDs.

Family members of railway employees are also incorporated in the HIV/AIDs mitigation projects. Railway administrations provide accommodation to most of their employees. Thus family members leaving in these railway communities would be assisted to start nutritional gardening and chicken projects to argument their health food provisions for their community.

Funding requirements

Funding required is for: HIV/AIDs impact assessment Training of peer educators, counsellors Supply of ARVs or subsided supply of ARVs Home based care kits Initial capital injection for community health projects such nutritional

gardening chicken projects Proposed date of implementation

The implementation will commence as soon as the Policy framework is adopted.

Implementation Agents

The SARA secretariat will be the implementation agent of the project and railway administrations are the beneficiaries of the project. The project will be monitored and evaluated yearly based on the following indicators:

Prevalence Interventions

Awareness and CampaignsMedical Treatment (ARVs, STI and opportunity infections treated)Lifestyle improvements (nutritional supplements, alternative therapies)Behavioural change programmesCareer and succession planningCommunity based projectsNumber beneficiariesCostsOther milestones

Contact Details

Joice ChidoraSouthern African Railways Association67 Fife AvenueHarareZimbabweTel +263-4-736777/8Fax + 263-4-736813Mobile: +263-11-802067E-mail: jchidora@sararail.org