Making HIV and AIDS prevention at work part of the hotel and tourism business

Uganda’s National Development Plan (2015-2020), which stipulates the country’s medium term development strategic plan, identifies the tourism sector as priority for economic development because of its multiplier effect to greater economic growth. The Ministry of Tourism Wildlife and Antiquities in 2015 reported that the tourism sector attained a 25% growth, contributed over US$ 60,000 to GDP and created employment opportunities for 153,000 young men and women, with 450,000 being employed directly in the hotel and tourism sector.

“We can build magnificent structures for our tourists but if we do not invest in the health of our workers, the potential for the hotel business is doomed, for the reason that this industry build entirely upon people” was the message delivered by the chairperson of the Uganda Hotels Owners Association – Ms Suzan Muhweezi during the launch of the HIV&AIDS Resource Guide for the Hotel and Tourism sector at the Annual General Meeting for the hotel owners that took place on 31st October 2016 at Hotel Africana in Kampala.

This was an unprecedented landmark that recognised the need to strengthen the capacity of the hotel and tourism sector to promote HIV and AIDS workplace responses. The context for the development of the HIV and AIDS resource guide was the macro-economic HIV&AIDS impact assessment (MoFED 2008) that showed that the prevalence of HIV among the hotels and tourism industry was 10.3%, which was higher than the national prevalence of 6.8% then. HIV and AIDS vulnerability in the hotel and tourism industry is commonly associated with mobility and migration, poor terms and conditions of work, gender inequality, lack of comprehensive knowledge about HIV and AIDS, and stigma and discrimination and high proximity for personal interactions and socialisation.

Following on the publication of the resource guide, the ILO in collaboration with the Federation of Uganda Employers and the Uganda Hotels Owners’ Association conducted dissemination workshop in 10 selected high HIV burdened districts of Uganda. Approximately 1,000 hotel managers and supervisors were trained in applying HIV and AIDS prevention and education approaches among the various hotel and tourism classification; hotels, lodges, guest houses, stay-inns, motels, restaurants, bars, night clubs, tour operators and other related hospitability facilities.

Worth noting that the interventions have increased knowledge and understanding on HIV and AIDS, improved application of universal infection control precautions and promoted adoption of HIV prevention strategies for behaviour change among the target hotels. Despite these achievement, there is still need to develop regulations that will improve the terms and conditions of work. There is also need to strengthen the role of trade unions for the sector in order to attain an effective HIV and AIDS workplace responses in the hotel and tourism sector.