AIDS PROGRAMS AT THE WORKPLACE - A SCORESHEET FOR ASSESSING THE QUALITY OF SERVICES

Little data is available on the extent or comprehensiveness of AIDS pr evention activities at South African workplaces. A cross-sectional pos tal survey was performed of all members of the local occupational heal th nursing association in the area of greater Cape Town in 1994 to ass ess the quality of such programmes. Use was made of an index to scare services based on their comprehensiveness, using criteria based on rec ommendations previously identified in the South Africa literature on A IDS control, The presence of a workplace policy on AIDS was the strong est predictor of high quality AIDS prevention activities. Substantial numbers of companies reported sending staff for HIV-related training, and the presence of training was non-significantly associated with hig her quality services with regard to HIV prevention, Treatment of sexua lly-transmitted diseases (STDs) was reported in slightly over half of the sample. Given the central importance of STD treatment for the prev ention and control of AIDS, improvements in STD management at the work place may significantly assist attempts at the public health control o f the HIV epidemic. In addition, worker involvement in the planning, m anagement and implementation of AIDS prevention activities is also lim ited at present and needs attention, Recommendations for the use of a scoring system to promote evaluation of AIDS programmes in the workpla ce are made.