Poverty, cause of HIV/AIDS epidemic

Accra, Aug. 21, GNA - Mr. Theodore Kwame Gyewu, an industrialist, has said the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic was severe, leading to greater poverty because individuals, households and enterprises in the informal sector of the economy have little or no access to health services and social protection.

He said informal sector workers rarely enjoy financial security or surviving at the margins with few savings and little access to credit. Mr. Gyewu, who is also of the Ghana Employers Association (GEA) said this when he launched a book on "Informal Economy HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy And Dissemination of International Labour Organisation (ILO) Code of Practice" in four Ghanaian languages in Accra on Wednesday.

He said the transient nature of informal workers by not staying at their workplaces too long can mean that a few days' absence would result in the loss of a job or the right to trade while others have fewer private means to cope with the effects of HIV/AIDS and less access to public services. Mr Gyewu cautioned that even though there was reduction in percentage of the numbers of people infected by the disease, "we cannot be complacent about it as it can spread to the general population from the high-risk groups". He said if the situation is left unchecked; the epidemic would damage the economy and leave an impact which would take years to reverse.

He urged the industries to show particular concern because, "we could lose productive workforce to HIV/AIDS and also face an adverse effect and deterioration of the business climate." The industrialist also advised employers and workers in the informal economy to have a package of common features such as strong commitment of the highest level in their enterprises, effective and sustained education on changing risky behaviours. He called on employers in the informal economy to empower, entrust and exploit every opportunity within their collective reach to mount strong programmes of prevention, care and treatment and fund them in full.

Madam Akua Ofori-Asumadu, ILO Programme Officer in Ghana, said the informal economy comprises 86 per cent of the workforce and developing HIV/AIDS policies and programmes for the sector is often fraught with challenges such as a collective lower socio-economic status and poor access to information and services. She said the ILO workplace education project has achieved positive results in extending HIV/AIDS education to the difficult to reach informal economy. Madam Ofori-Asumadu said the strategy employed has involved the participatory HIV/AIDS policy and behaviour change strategy back by peer counselling and education. She said catalytic comprehensive workplace programming in the sector is imperative to prevent retardation of overall progress aimed at prevalence reduction and treatment access. "Programmes and policies for the informal sector is a must if HIV/AIDS implementers are to succeed in contributing to a reduction in the spread of the disease in developing economies." Mr E.A. Akuffo, Chief Director of the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment, who chaired the function urged employers in the sector to educate and sensitise their workers to impact knowledge to the people to be conscious to the HIV/AIDS which is not a disease but a social factor which needs frequent hammering. 21 Aug. 08