HIV/AIDS interventions by construction firms - a mixed methods analysis of survey data

HIV/AIDS continues to be a major problem in the South African construction industry. To investigate the workplace interventions implemented by Western Cape construction firms to combat HIV/AIDS amongst their employees, quantitative and qualitative data were collected via an online survey from 42 respondents representing construction firms of different sizes. The data were examined using statistical and thematic analysis techniques. The five major findings of the study are: there was understanding of the problem of HIV/AIDS among some firms but others were still in denial; several firms, especially the larger ones, had developed HIV/AIDS policies and were also implementing (or outsourcing) awareness, prevention and treatment programmes for their employees as they believed that this was good for their business; extensive barriers to the provision of interventions exist in many firms, such as HIV/AIDSrelated stigma, lack of management support, and high cost; there was uneven success of prevention interventions and treatment programmes run by some firms; firms not currently mounting one or more of awareness, prevention, or treatment campaigns/programmes indicated their intentions to do so in future. Firms doing well in their HIV/AIDS response should mentor firms struggling with their response. An industry-wide joint approach to HIV/AIDS intervention management is called for.