Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
South African Press Association - August 16, 2006
Fran Blandy
A preliminary report released during a poster discussion shows that while police work in an environment that increases their risk of HIV infection, two-thirds of Johannesburg police had never received HIV/Aids training.
"Police lifestyle, environment and work-related stress increases risk of HIV infection," said Themba Masuku, of the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR). He found that the South African Police Service (SAPS) HIV/Aids-prevention strategy has not been properly implemented.
"There is a lack of leadership at different levels since some police managers do not see HIV/Aids as their issue," said Masuku.
During in-depth interviews with commanders at Johannesburg's police stations, Masuku found that half of them had not received HIV/Aids training.
"Fifty percent of police commanders indicated that HIV/Aids is not their responsibility and 50% of police have not seen the HIV/Aids policy," reads Masuku's report.
Senior Superintendent Magda Laubscher, head of the police's HIV section, said a strategy has been implemented to create awareness among police. It is also aimed at preventing new infections, building capacity at different levels and mobilising resources and support.
Laubscher disagreed with the findings of Masuku's report, saying that a lot has changed recently, with a large number of social workers being trained as education officers. Area and provincial coordinators of the HIV/Aids programme have also been put in place.
She agreed that HIV/Aids prevention in the workplace is important, especially among police who are vital to the country's safety and security. She said the police have made "tremendous inroads" into HIV/Aids and have ensured the programme is implemented vigorously on all levels.
South Africa has the highest number of people living with Aids in the world, with about five million of its 47-million citizens HIV-positive.
Laubscher displayed a package given to all police, containing gloves to provide safety at crime scenes where there is often blood, and a mask that can be placed over the mouth of someone who needs CPR who may also be bleeding.
"For two successive years, the SAPS has allocated R10-million from its budget to the HIV/Aids workplace programme."
While Laubscher said the SAPS programme attempts to mitigate the stigma of the disease, the CSVR report found -- through case studies of police officials living with the disease -- that stigma and discrimination are still a problem.
Masuku said the few police officials who are prepared to approach social workers for counselling do so late at night or early in the morning so they will not be seen entering the offices.
One police officer he spoke to said: "I have not told my commander because he is not ready, and the police are not ready to hear such news. I am prepared to die with this secret because police officials will think I am sick even when I am not."
The report also shows that many police officials feel it is their job to reduce crime, and not to get involved in understanding Aids policy.
According to Clive Evian, a doctor with Aids Management and Support, HIV-prevalence surveillance is a key strategy for managing HIV in the workplace.
Laubscher said the programme uses voluntary counselling and testing, and while it promotes police officers knowing their status, they are not forced to get tested.
She said the programme applies the national prevalence rates to the police population.
Masuku said there is a need to integrate the HIV/Aids policy with the "core business of the police" and gain a better understanding of the pandemic by establishing trends around sick leave and deaths.
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