2.5.2 Key References and Supporting WHO Guidelines

Corbett, L. (2007). Health worker access to HIV/TB prevention, treatment and care services in Africa: Situational analysis and mapping of routine and current best practices. Unpublished manuscript.

Family Health International. Voluntary counselling and testing toolkit. Research Triangle Park, NC, Family Health International, 2006 (http://www.fhi.org/en/HIVAIDS/pub/guide/vctoolkit.htm).

Galvin SR, De Vries DH. (2008). Access barriers to HIV care among health workers in Swaziland. The Capacity Project.

Kiragu, K., Nyumbu, M., Ngulube TJ, Njobvu, P., Mwaba, C., Kalimbwe, A., et al. (2008). Caring for caregivers: An HIV workplace intervention for hospital staff in zimbabwe. Horizons Final Report.

Lavoie M-C, Yassi A, Bryce E, Fujii R, Longronio M, Tennassee M. International collaboration to protect health workers from infectious diseases. PAHO Journal 2010, accepted for publication.

Mahajan, A. P., Colvin, M., Rudatsikira, J. B., & Ettl, D. (2007). An overview of HIV workplace policies and programmes in southern Africa. AIDS (London, England), 21 Suppl 3, S31-9.

Morris C, Cheevers E. (2001) A package of care for HIV in the occupational setting in Africa: Results of a pilot intervention. AIDS Patient Care and STDs. 15(12):633-640.

Rebman, R. (Ed), Guzman, R., Dybka, L, Watson, R., Lavoie, M., Yassi, A., Gamage, B., et al. (2008). Proceedings of the international commission on occupational health and American college of occupational and environmental medicine 2007 state-of-the-art conference pre-conference workshop: Protecting the health of health care workers: A global perspective. Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

Tarwireyi F, & Majoko F. (2003). Health workers' participation in voluntary counselling and testing in three districts of Mashonaland east province, Zimbabwe. The Central African Journal of Medicine, 49(5-6), 58-62.

Vaas JR. (2008). The role of HIV/AIDS committees in effective workplace governance of HIV/AIDS in South African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). SAHARA J : Journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS Research Alliance / SAHARA, Human Sciences Research Council, 5(1), 2-10.

World Health Organization. Online toolkit for HIV testing and counselling. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2006 (http://www.who.int/hiv/pub/vct/toolkit/en/index.html)

World Health Organization. WHO/UNAIDS guidance on provider-initiated HIV testing and counselling in health facilities. Geneva. World Health Organization, 2007 (http://www.who.int/hiv/topics/vct/toolkit/introduction/en/index3.html)

World Health Organization. (2009). Integrating gender into HIV/AIDS programmes in the health sector: Tool to improve responsiveness to women's needs.

Yassi A, Ostry AS, Hatter B, De Boer HM.(2005) Joint health and safety committee education and the value of bipartite cooperation in the healthcare sector in British Columbia, Canada. International Journal of Occupational & Environmental Health. 11(3):305-12.

Yassi, A., Nophale, L., Dybka, L., Bryce, E., Kruger, W., & Spiegel, J. (2009b) Building capacity to secure healthier and safer working conditions for healthcare workers: A South African-Canadian collaboration. International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health,15:360-369.

Supported by Existing Guidelines:

ILO/WHO guidelines on health services and HIV/AIDS, 2005- Section on VCT:

  • Voluntary disclosure by an individual of his or her HIV status has many consequences and can be only a personal decision. Confidentiality at the workplace means that persons with HIV have full control over decisions about whether and how their colleagues are informed. Health-care workers should understand they have a right to confidentiality and have no obligation to respond if asked about their sero-status by patients or their families. Healthcare workers may decide against disclosing their HIV status at work for fear of dismissal or stigmatisation by the employer or fellow workers. In a safe and decent workplace, where health-care workers are educated about HIV and where discrimination is prohibited and absent, people living with HIV are more likely to be open about their status, seek counselling and treatment, and attend prevention programmes. This in turn enhances the potential for the practice of preventive behaviours and appropriate placement.
  • 68. The confidentiality of all records of health-care workers who have been exposed to blood or body fluids should be maintained. Summary information regarding all incidents of exposure in a particular health-care institution may be made available to all workers and their representatives in a form that has been agreed through consultation between the employer and the workers' representatives. Procedures should be established to manage and minimize breaches of confidentiality in the workplace, in accordance with national laws and regulations.

ILO/WHO PEP guidelines, 2008

  • 2.2.2 Confidentiality Personal information relating to PEP, such as the reasons for seeking it, having it provided and for HIV testing, needs to be confidential. Privacy and confidentiality considerations are the same as those for HIV testing.
  • 2.2.3 Informed consent Informed consent for HIV PEP needs to be obtained in the same way as for any other health care procedure. Consent to any HIV testing in the context of PEP must also be obtained, in accordance with standard guidelines for HIV testing and counselling. HIV testing and counselling is often referred to as voluntary counselling and testing, when initiated by the beneficiary, or provider-initiated testing and counselling, when proposed by the services provider.

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