Province launches HIV workplace policy

 THE East New Britain provincial administration has launched its HIV/AIDS workplace policy.

Provincial administrator Akuila Tubal said the policy was an important guide for public servants on how to work with people living with HIV/AIDS in the same environment.

Tubal said the policy was initially drafted in 2011 and completed late last year.

He said the policy would be implemented in districts, local level governments and wards to ensure that the 650 public servants were covered.

The provincial HIV coordinator Elphin Samson said the Department of Personnel Management had directed for all provincial governments to have a workplace policy on HIV/AIDS.

She said it has taken almost four years to formulate the policy.

She said the provincial human resource division was responsible for the formulation of the policy.

The policy has been simplified so that the  message gets across to the public servants quickly.

“For HIV, we should remain simple. Being simple means an important message is already received on the other end,” she said.

The ENB administration is committed to promoting and protecting the health of the people by ensuring that they are informed about HIV/AIDS and the potential effects on their lives, their families, their friends and the organisation.

The policy is based on 12 principles adopted from the PNG National Aids Council HAMP Act 2003.