THE Stop TB Partnership Zimbabwe, Parliament, the private sector and other key stakeholders have amplified calls to have a national Workplace TB policy which will guide the implementation of TB and wellness programs in the workplace.
By Michael Gwarisa in Kwekwe
Even though most companies in the private sector have wellness policies in place, TB stakeholders believe a standalone TB policy framework would ensure the diseases is prioritized and given the attention it deserves.
Speaking during a Public Private Partnership (PPP) Engagement Meeting that was hosted by the Stop TB partnership in Zimbabwe in Kwekwe, Jointed Hands Welfare Organisation (JHWO) Executive Director, Dr Donald Tobaiwa said the private sector has always been the first port of call for symptomatic people and a TB in the Workplace Policy was long overdue.
A Workplace TB policy will certainly be a welcome development. You find that the private sector and the informal sector are largely affected by TB. Ending TB requires a strong healthcare system, a public health workforce that can reach those who need care and a laboratory capacity to quickly diagnose the disease,” said Dr Tobaiwa.
According to research, one case of TB could result in up to 15 more TB Cases if not diagnosed and treated and in the workplace, this could translate to increased infections in closed settings which could affect productivity.
“The workplace is where we find more people. Most formal workplaces have facilities and quickly attend to their employees – but are they all notifying, and are they all reaching out to the communities around them? Informal ones, on the other hand have no facilities and some have high exposure levels for both TB and Silica dust. Those in informal workplaces have a low help and health seeking behaviour hence the need for formal facilities to support the informal ones around them to reduce transmission.”
The PPP engagement in Kwekwe was attended by various key players in the mining and corporate industry. Some of the companies that were represented at the meeting include Unki Mine, Mimosa mine, Sino-Cement, Delta Beverages, Baines Occupational Health Services (BOHS) among others.
Member of the National Assembly of Zimbabwe for Bulawayo Central, Honourable Nicole Watson said Zimbabwe could ride on already existing health and wellness in workplace structures to drive the TB in the workplace policy.
“The issue about National Social Security Authority (NSSA) recognising TB as a communicable disease should be partitioned to parliament. I also believe that NSSA have contributed in workplaces and they can equally provide screening in those workplaces. So that could be part of policy or framework or contact for workers and screening for TB,” said Honourable Watson.
Meanwhile, Mr Marowa from Unki Mine said a TB policy would complement an integrated wellness policy they already have in place at Unki mine.
“We used to have an HIV policy but we have since replaced it with an integrated wellness policy. Wellness programing allows us to everything including HIV, TB, Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), Mental Health among others. At Unki there is what is called an employee assisted program,” said Marowa.
Although TB kills more people every year, it remains one of the top under-funded diseases receiving the least allocation from donors, government budget and corporate social responsibility. Funding for TB in Zimbabwe remains low with the 2021 WHO Global Tuberculosis Report reporting that Zimbabwe’s 2021 national TB budget has a funding gap of 50%. 44% of the budget is provided by international donors while a meagre 6.5% comes from domestic funding.