Please be informed that the ComMark programme came to an end on 31 December 2009. Should you have any queries or need further assistance , please contact the relevant sector staff member(s):
- Agribusiness Sector Specialist - Lucille Gavera (+27 83 290 1260) or Mike De Klerk (+27 82 452 7749)
- Textiles & Apparel Sector Specialist - Andy Salm (+353 8623 88523)
- Tourism Sector Specialist - Wouter Schalken (+264 8120 89650) or click here for information on ongoing tourism projects in Southern Africa
ALAFA chosen to present its Lesotho HIV Workplace Programme at the XVII International AIDS Conference
The Apparel Lesotho Alliance to Fight Aids (ALAFA) was researched and implemented by ComMark with seed funding from DFID. Within two years of implementation, the programme covers 75% of the 46,000 textile and apparel workforce in Lesotho with its education and prevention programme and 50% of workers currently have access to medical monitoring and treatment with ARVs.
The ALAFA programme is considered to be a leader and innovator in the private sector/workplace response to HIV and AIDS. Dagmar Hanisch, employed by ComMark and who has been largely responsible for the implementation of the programme, submitted an abstract to the governing committee of the XVII International Aids Conference to be held in Mexico in August 2008. This abstract has been accepted for an oral presentation - which is a significant honor considering the enormous number of abstracts submitted.
Dagmar's presentation is titled, ALAFA: implementing a sector-wide comprehensive HIV workplace programme in Lesotho's apparel industry, and will be delivered during the Conference session, Mitigating HIV in the Workplace, on 7 August 2008.
