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Category Healthcare
SUB CATEGORIES General  |  HIV |  Medical Schemes | 

New frontline in R2bn a year HIV battle

01 December 2006 Beachhead Media & Investor Relations

Corporate wellness programmes now the frontline in AIDs battle - R 2bn annual costs make pandemic number one concern for employers


Even though Corporate Wellness Programmes are still nascent in South Africa, they are playing an increasingly important role as the frontline in the countrys battle with the HIV/AIDS pandemic. 

Dr Craig Nossel, Deputy General Manager of Discovery Vitality that recently launched an employee wellness programme called Vitality Wellpoint, says that South African companies are increasingly investing in HIV/AIDS treatment programmes for staff as they are acutely aware of the ongoing high costs of the pandemic.

"HIV/AIDS is the number one concern for employers as absenteeism directly related to HIV/AIDS is already running at R2 billion annually.

"Higher infection rates and the loss of productivity are issues that employers are grappling with so wellness programmes are the natural frontline in the battle against the disease."

Dr Nossel says that workplace wellness programmes are organised programmes that are intended to assist employees and their family members in making voluntary behaviour changes.

"Where better to engage and help people with HIV than were they come to work everyday?

"Wellness programmes are designed to improve the health of staff, reduce their injury risks, improve their health consumer skills and enhance their individual productivity and well-being through a preventive, rather than reactive approach to health care.

"And HIV/AIDs management is a fundamental part of these programmes and a vital tool in the tackling this disease. It's important that AIDs is treated just like any other chronic condition.

Dr Nossel says corporate wellness programmes like Discovery Healths HIVCare should meet the full spectrum of employee needs from on-site HIV testing and support, counselling and the monitoring of individuals health as well as access to antiretroviral medication.

"Of course education and awareness is the ultimate weapon against combating AIDS so that is fundamental too. It all adds up to a holistic approach to fighting and management HIV/AIDs and measuring the results."

Dr Nossel points out that the benefits to a company include reduced and predictable group risk premiums, reduced absenteeism, improved productivity and lower medical costs.

"Personal wellbeing is greatly improved too.

Wellness programmes are inherently highly efficient vehicles to tackle AIDS because AIDS management programmes are part of the integrated corporate wellness offering which typically include services like 24 hour access to counselling as well as legal and financial advice and access to social services.

"Wellness programmes also overcome the existing limitations of more traditional HIV services which many employers pay piecemeal for employee assistance schemes over and above medical aid costs so it makes it very pricey.

"Also, a separate outsourced HIV program often does not engage employees because they are too remote and dont provide all the data necessary to address staff needs.

Dr Nossel says that wellness initiatives also makes extremely good business sense and each rand invested in wellness typically results in a 300 to 500% cost saving according to the USs Association of Labour Management Administrators and Consultants.

"Already 95% of Fortune 500 companies in the US have employee wellness programmes and there very strong correlation between employee wellness and improvements in workplace morale, loyalty, performance and associated reductions in organisational operating costs and of course profits."

Discovery Vitality Wellpoint was launched in September this year and is available to all employees, not just Discovery Health Members. 

Employers on the programme enjoy a discount of between 10 to 30% discount on its group life premiums as an incentive for employees to live healthier.

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