FKE Coast regional manager Salim Mwawaza, FKE Project Officer William Wandera and Wilson Atinga representative from Mombasa Hospital during the launch of free HIV testing at the hospital [Photo/ Maxwell Ngala].
The Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) Coast region chapter on Friday embarked on a programme to encourage workers to go for HIV testing ahead of the World Aids Day which is held on December 1, every year.FKE has partnered with Mombasa Hospital to conduct a health camp and carry out awareness and testing for HIV/AIDS in a bid to reduce vulnerability among workers and their families.FKE regional manager Salim Mwawaza said they were pushing for employees to know their status and employers to know how to handle the infected.“In the countdown to the World Aids Day, we would be facilitating workers to get treatment, medication, and counseling from Mombasa Hospital,” said Mwawaza.Mwawaza noted that cases of stigma and discrimination among those infected have gone down at the workplace.“We have made numerous efforts to educate employers that those who are living with HIV can continue to be productive members of the workforce,” he added.He FKE aims to ensure that people living with HIV are not discriminated against in the workplace.FKE project officer William Wandera said people living with HIV are legally protected from discrimination in the workplace, and warned employers against violating this law when recruiting new staff members.Mombasa Hospital representative Wilson Atinga said they will be providing free HIV testing and counseling to workers.Atinga a significant decline in HIV prevalence has been realised over the years, which he said can be attributed in part to notable behavioral change and increased access to ART (antiretroviral) drugs.