ASRU's Potter fellow holds seminar on relationship between HIV and unemployment

Celeste Coetzee, PhD candidate and Potter fellow in ASRU, arranged a seminar to develop our understanding of being HIV positive and unemployed in South Africa. The seminar was generously funded by David and Elaine Potter. The aim of the seminar was to explore the links between health and unemployment. Specifically, to highlight factors that HIV positive individuals living on HAART may have to address when considering re-entry into employment. The seminar was well attended, and the audience was a mixture of academics, Aids activists and non-governmental organisations focusing on vocational training. The attendants were well placed to discuss the process of re-entry into employment for individuals, both HIV positive and non-infected, wishing to re-enter the labour market.

The seminar focused on a topic that is very relevant in the context of our country, which bears the dual burdens of high levels of unemployment and one of the highest numbers of individuals who are HIV positive. It provided a wonderful opportunity to network, particularly with individuals from non-governmental organisations specialising in vocational training.

The panelists: From left to right: Thobani Ncapai, Nieliswa Nkwaw, Susan Wishart and the chair Celeste Coetzee