HIV/AIDS

Current global estimates show that approximately 33.4 million people are living with HIV. Nine out of ten people living with HIV are adults in their productive prime.

Millions of persons living with or affected by HIV and AIDS have lost their livelihoods because of the disease. HIV affects the most productive age groups and it imposes huge costs on enterprises through falling productivity, increased labour costs and the loss of skills and experience. In addition, fundamental rights at work are often violated on the basis of real or perceived HIV status, particularly through discrimination and stigmatisation directed at workers living with and affected by HIV and AIDS. To make matters worse, the pandemic tends to move along the fault lines of society, particularly affecting groups that are already disadvantaged or marginalized.

Though there has been a significant increase in prevention and treatment services, a lot of work still needs to be done to achieve goals of universal access to HIV prevention, care and treatment. For every two people starting on treatment there are five new infections. So, on the one hand prevention remains a priority, and on the other hand, social protection for people living with and affected by HIV is essential to allow them to live a productive and dignified life.

In light of this, the ILO code of practice on HIV/AIDS and the world of workand the world of work was developed in 2001, to offer guidance to governments, employers and workers and help them develop HIV/AIDS workplace policy and programmes. The Code promotes a rights-based approach focusing on reducing stigma and discrimination. It applies to both the formal and informal economies, and contemplates measures to be taken for prevention and social protection of workers.

More recently, the ILO has developed and adopted the Recommendation 200 concerning HIV and AIDS and the World of Work at the International Labour Conference in June 2010.

The new standard strengthens and expands on the principles of the Code of practice, providing an encompassing and solid foundation for the development of effective national workplace policies and programmes on HIV and AIDS.

Against this background, the International Training Centre of the ILO and the ILO Programme on HIV/AIDSare offering a capacity building course on HIV/AIDS and the world of work, with a prevention and social protection perspective.

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