Ministry reviews Public Service Policy on HIV/AIDS to support affected workers

ANNE KANGERO AND PEACE MWENDE-KNA

The Ministry of Public Service and Human Capital Development is reviewing the draft Public Service Workplace Policy on HIV/AIDS and related diseases to align it with current health issues affecting public servants.

The policy aims to ad dress the challenges faced by public servants infected with HIV/AIDS and related diseases in the country, providing a clear framework for HIV/AIDS response.

PS Public Service, Amos Gathecha, made this statement while officiating at a validation work shop on the Public Service Workplace Policy on HIV/ AIDS and related diseases at Machakos University.

Gathecha emphasized that the review is necessary, given the significant impact on the public ser vice workforce, with ap proximately 36,260 public servants living with HIV. 

He stated that the exercise will promote a safe and healthy work environment in the public ser vice, ensuring dignity and fair labor practices for all public servants.

“This Policy will guide measures to mitigate the effects of loss of working hours due to HIV and related chronic health conditions at the workplace and improve employee’s productivity as well as ability to seek healthcare services with out fear of discrimination,” said Gathecha.

The PS acknowledged that there was a high demand for counselling services among public servants due to the close relationship between HIV/ AIDS and mental health challenges.

He disclosed that mental illness increased the risk of HIV infection while people living with HIV have an increased risk of mental illness even as he described stigma as a hindrance in the fight the terminal diseases.