HIV risk and vulnerabilities of migrant farm workers in South Africa:

Good practice in addressing migrants’ rights to health

International Organization for Migration International Organization for Migration (IOM)(IOM)

IOM’s HIV Prevention & Care Project: HIV Prevention & Care Project: Targets seasonal farm workers on 38 commercial farms in South Africa

The Evidence: findings from the IBBS

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5

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15

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25

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Female Workers Male Workers

HIV Prevalence on surveyed farms

71%

29%

28.5% HIV Positive

Female workers have higher HIV prevalence

Young women (18-24 yrs) 3 times more likely to be HIV positive

Unmarried women and married men more at risk

Females living away from the workplace more at risk

Females travelling more than an hour to work more vulnerable than males

38% of workers know their HIV Status

Circumcised males lower HIV prevalence but the difference is mainly due to circumcision during early

childhood

Drivers of HIV infection in a large agri-estate setting

Environmental Drivers

Structural Drivers

Individual Drivers

- Seasonal labour- Poverty in rural areas- high % of women- high levels of gender inequality

• Gender (power) dynamics on farms, esp. transactional sex for jobs, accommodation, transport, exaggerated “masculinity” • Separation from regular sexual partners• Lack of access to health services due to unstable contract status/ no time/no money for transport• Boredom - lack of recreation• Low literacy / low skilled • Fatalism: “I can be replaced anytime”• Lack of targeted and appropriate (culture/language) HIV prevention information

- High levels of multiple, concurrent sexual partners with low consistent condom use- Low levels of behaviour change (myths/ misconceptions)

IOM’s response: A comprehensive HIV prevention and care project in large agri-estates

Sustainability – building

institutional capacity of

local partner

Access to health

services incl. ARVs

Recreational activities

Social Change

Communi-cation

Gender

Peer education

and referral to PHC

Building life skills

Workplace policies

Farm worker HIV

Prevention and Care Project

Impact ..

• Project started in 2005

• 78% of employees trust in the confidentiality of the IOM implementing partner.

• 25% of all employees surveyed in IBBS had been tested 6 months prior to survey suggesting the VCT programme is starting to reach more employees

• Grown from 18 farms to 38 – the model is being replicated throughout the district

• All 38 farms have HIV workplace policies

• Wellness Clinic in the farm community for all farm workers providing primary health care and ARVs

• Gender: Community Policing Forums are active, men becoming more vocal on GBV related issues

Gender on farms - in 2003/4 IOM survey found 52% of female workers had exchanged sex for goods

This mural was painted by farm workers and is on one of the farm compounds

Contact Details:

Barbara RijksRegional HIV AdvisorInternational Organization for MigrationRegional Office for Southern AfricaTel: +27 12 342 2789Email: brijks@iom.intwww.iom.org.za