Service Contract No 2007 / 147-446 Strategic ... - Swaziland

- creating a supportive environment for those living with HIV/AIDS so as to mitigate theimpact of HIV/AIDS on the individual, the company and the community; and- ensuring the availability of accessible HIV/AIDS prevention, medical drugs, care andsupport services.The Statement affirms that the same ethical principles that guide other health conditions inthe employment context of the company will apply to HIV/AIDS, “including confidentiality, fairemployment practices, non-discrimination, shared responsibility and sustainability”. There isno testing of HIV as a condition of employment, nor discrimination based on an individual’sHIV status. However, RSSC conducts an HIV prevalence survey every five years todetermine the magnitude of HIV in the company, and an actuarial analysis with costprojections for the same period. In-depth and quality assessments are also carried outas/when required, including an HIV/AIDS risk assessment.The company’s approach is to manage HIV/AIDS, working in partnership with employeeorganisations, the government (particularly the MoH and NERCHA), the UN and otherinternational agencies. This is facilitated through the HIV/AIDS Tripartite Committee, withrepresentation by Management, the Union and the Staff Association. An HIV/AIDSProgramme Co-ordinator coordinates all HIV/AIDS programmes and related issues.As well as an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), which provides care and support forthose affected by HIV/AIDS, the RSSC provides health care at two site-based clinics, whichare centrally managed by the Medical Services Department. The emphasis is on primaryhealth care and the prevention of diseases, including HIV/AIDS. In 2003 two VCT centreswere established jointly with NERCHA, one at each estate. Since 2004, ARV is provided toemployees free of charge, made possible through NERCHA from the Global Fund. However,the company is reducing its medical service, which may negatively affect its response toHIV/AIDS.RSSC has an Outgrower Development Department in the Agriculture Division. Over 2,500families are currently involved in sugar cane production as small-scale farmers who deliver tothe RSSC’s two mills. From a land area measuring 11,356 ha, they produce 1.2 milliontonnes of sugar cane, supplying 52% of Mhlume mill’s total cane and 25% of Simunye mill’stotal cane. By March 2009 more than 4,028 ha of cane had been developed by small-holderfarmers in the Komati Basin, under the auspices of the Swaziland Water and AgriculturalDevelopment Enterprise (SWADE). Although RSSC has an HIV/AIDS Outreach Programme,the farmers do not benefit directly from the RSSC’s HIV/AIDS health services, and are thusreliant on governmental or non-governmental support.Ubombo SugarUbombo Sugar has one sugar mill located at Big Bend, which produces sugar from its ownestate and receives cane from cane growers in the vicinity, including from LUSIP. The LUSIPproject involves the establishment of up to 11,500 ha of irrigated agricultural land over aperiod of six to seven years, a large proportion of which will be developed as sugar cane fordelivery to the Ubombo factory, where milling capacity is to be increased to accommodatethe expansion. Under the current development plans it is envisaged that an additional 1,900ha of cane will be available for milling at Ubombo by the 2011/12 season, increasing up to9,000 ha in the long term (Illovo Sugar Limited, 2009).Ubombo’s employment conditions include access to primary health care for employees andtheir dependents, through the health centre and/or the provision of medical insurance. Thecompany owns and manages a 40-bed hospital to serve employees and the Big Bendcommunity.RDMU (Strategic Environmental Assessment of the National Adaptation Strategy) - Page 80