Awareness and Knowledge of HIV in the Workplace Policy Among Employees, Employers, and Decision-makers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Abstract

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) anti-stigma and discrimination policies are aimed at protecting the rights of persons living with HIV (PLHIV). In response to the stigma and discrimination experienced by PLHIV in the state, Akwa Ibom State, like many states in Nigeria, enacted the HIV in the Workplace policy (HIV_WPP). Despite its adoption, many PLHIV still experience stigma and discrimination in workplaces in the state. This study was undertaken to assess the level of awareness and knowledge of the HIV_WPP and related organizational policies in Akwa Ibom State across the private and public sectors. A cross-sectional study using a mixed methods approach was conducted for 591 consecutively recruited employees and 43 employers/ decision-makers across 23 organizations in the State. Data was collected from October 2022 to February 2023. Results were analyzed using SPSS 15.1 for quantitative and NVivo 10 for qualitative data. The study showed that 464 (78.5%) employees and 42 (95.3%) of employers/decision-makers, were unaware of the Akwa Ibom State HIV in the workplace policy (AKS_HIV_WPP). Also, 560 (94.8%) employees had poor knowledge of this policy. A larger proportion of respondents knew more about their organizational policies than the AKS_HIV_WPP. Older respondents (41.1% versus 37.5%, p=0.026) had significantly higher levels of knowledge of the policy. Three hundred and twenty-four (45.2%) respondents had good knowledge of their organizational policies. The awareness and knowledge of the AKS_HIV_WPP was suboptimal. It is recommended that relevant state agencies create awareness of the AKS_HIV_WPP in all public and private organizations through public-private collaboration.