Grant: Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

South Africa continues to experience HIV and TB epidemics that are among the most severe in the world. Hazardous alcohol consumption is prevalent in South Africa and has been identified as a key driver of these epidemics. Within South Africa, mineworkers are disproportionately impacted by HIV and TB, and their exceptionally high rates of alcohol use may be hindering HIV and TB prevention and treatment efforts targeted toward this group. While this suggests the need to incorporate alcohol-focused initiatives into HIV and TB programs for mineworkers, sensitivities exist regarding the identification and treatment of alcohol concerns within mining company-administered healthcare settings. As such, meaningful consultation with stakeholders representing diverse factions from the industry would be required prior to developing and evaluating combined alcohol/HIV/TB programs for mineworkers. Our proposed activities will therefore entail a series of meetings with mineworker organizations, mining corporations, and relevant government departments, with the goal of achieving the following objectives: 1) to explore methods of addressing hazardous alcohol consumption among mineworkers that would potentially be acceptable, feasible, and effective; 2) to discuss means through which alcohol reduction initiatives could be incorporated into HIV and TB prevention and treatment efforts for mineworkers; 3) to discuss ways to address the associated negative health impacts of mineworkers' hazardous alcohol consumption, HIV, and TB on partners, family members, and communities; and 4) to disseminate a report of key findings to stakeholders, and to develop a grant application involving a full-scale alcohol, HIV, and TB initiative for mineworkers in South Africa. Overall, this work will raise awareness of alcohol's role in the persistent HIV and TB epidemics among mineworkers, and it will catalyze a future collaborative effort aimed at reducing the burden of HIV and TB among this population.