New AIDS education programme for workplace in Singapore
SINGAPORE : The steady rise in the number of working Singaporeans infected with sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS has become a concern.
Health officials and business leaders are doing their part to prevent the spread of AIDS.
A new education programme called RESPECT has been launched.
It aims to spread awareness through role-plays, skits and counselling.
Close to 90 percent of the 255 new HIV cases reported last year involved Singaporeans between 20 and 59 years old, the ages when they were at their most productive economically.
HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, can lead to full-blown AIDS.
Senior Minister of State for Health, Dr Balaji Sadasivan, says this is a serious threat to Singapore businesses.
Said Dr Sadasivan, "In Asia, India and China are seeing an explosive growth of HIV. Malaysia also has a major problem. And last year, WHO was extremely alarmed at the rate at which HIV infections are increasing in Indonesia. So we are in the middle of a region in which HIV is growing explosively. We have to put in place measures so that things are under control."
Business leaders say AIDS education programmes can cost a mere S$20 for each employee.
This is in contrast to the huge costs incurred when employees are hit by the virus.
Said Nicolas De Boursac, executive director, American Chamber of Commerce, "People in the workforce get sick, or their relatives get sick and they have to go look after them, so there is more absenteeism. You need to train more people because they are not all going to be there when you need them, and therefore the training costs go up, insurance costs go up, pension costs go up and absenteeism goes up."
Business activists say response to the RESPECT programme so far has been great.
Said Wang Kai Yuen, chairman, AIDS Business Alliance, "We're targeting a total of only 20 companies in the launch of RESPECT. This is based on the capacity that we have to train these people, because it is quite extensive. The response so far has been very positive. We already have eight companies signed up."
Latest figures show over 2,600 Singaporeans are infected with HIV, a 44 percent jump since 2002. - CNA /ct
Health officials and business leaders are doing their part to prevent the spread of AIDS.
A new education programme called RESPECT has been launched.
It aims to spread awareness through role-plays, skits and counselling.
Close to 90 percent of the 255 new HIV cases reported last year involved Singaporeans between 20 and 59 years old, the ages when they were at their most productive economically.
HIV, or human immunodeficiency virus, can lead to full-blown AIDS.
Senior Minister of State for Health, Dr Balaji Sadasivan, says this is a serious threat to Singapore businesses.
Said Dr Sadasivan, "In Asia, India and China are seeing an explosive growth of HIV. Malaysia also has a major problem. And last year, WHO was extremely alarmed at the rate at which HIV infections are increasing in Indonesia. So we are in the middle of a region in which HIV is growing explosively. We have to put in place measures so that things are under control."
Business leaders say AIDS education programmes can cost a mere S$20 for each employee.
This is in contrast to the huge costs incurred when employees are hit by the virus.
Said Nicolas De Boursac, executive director, American Chamber of Commerce, "People in the workforce get sick, or their relatives get sick and they have to go look after them, so there is more absenteeism. You need to train more people because they are not all going to be there when you need them, and therefore the training costs go up, insurance costs go up, pension costs go up and absenteeism goes up."
Business activists say response to the RESPECT programme so far has been great.
Said Wang Kai Yuen, chairman, AIDS Business Alliance, "We're targeting a total of only 20 companies in the launch of RESPECT. This is based on the capacity that we have to train these people, because it is quite extensive. The response so far has been very positive. We already have eight companies signed up."
Latest figures show over 2,600 Singaporeans are infected with HIV, a 44 percent jump since 2002. - CNA /ct
posted by Dr Philippe Maslo at 15:22
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