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Platform
of Action
on HIV/AIDS in the context of the
world of work in Africa
Preamble
AIDS threatens every man, woman and child in Africa today. The pandemic
is the most serious social, labour and humanitarian challenge of our
time. Since its start two decades ago, AIDS and HIV have taken a catastrophic
toll in Africa, decimating its population, tearing apart the very social
fabric of its societies and threatening its economies. Its toll of debilitating
ill-ness,
widespread and indiscriminate death, deterio-rating quality of life
and life expectancy, threatens to reverse the hard won social and economic
gains of African countries and ultimately, the very future of the continent.
AIDS is rapidly becoming the single most serious threat to social and
economic progress in Africa today. The true cost of the pandemic is
almost incalculable. Its impact is aggravated by the overall economic,
political, and social context, as well as some cultural practices, dominated
by a weak econ-omic base, high unemployment, pervasive poverty, and
the negative consequences of structural adjust-ment, all of which further
undermine Africa's ability to compete in the global market
HIV/AIDS
in Africa
The pandemic has manifested itself in the world of work – the area
of the ILO's mandate – in the follow-ing ways: discrimination in
employment, social exclusion of Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA),
additional distortion of gender inequalities, increased numbers of AIDS
orphans, and increased incidence of child labour. It has also disrupted
the performance of the informal sector and small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs). Other manifestations are low productivity, depleted human capital,
challenged social security systems and threatened occupational safety
and health, especially among certain groups at risk such as migrant
workers and their communities and workers in the medical and transport
sectors.
Clearly, AIDS is no longer just a health problem. It is a developmental
crisis with potentially ominous consequences for Africa and the world.
Yet, a culture of silence, fear and denial continues to reign and prevent
action. The stigma and the fear engendered by AIDS fuels discrimination,
persecution and ignorance. Despite this, the spread of AIDS can be prevented.
A multi-dimensional response to AIDS is needed to prevent its spread
and protect those who live with its consequences. In the absence of
a cure, what is needed is a "social vac-cine" that includes
such elements as social inclusion, income and job security, social security
and solidarity. In search of awareness, action and commitment, participants
from 20 African countries, meeting in Windhoek from 11 to 13 October
1999, in tripartite delegations, adopted the following Platform for
Action to respond to this crisis at workplace, community, national,
regional and international levels.
The Meeting called upon all African govern-ments to declare HIV/AIDS
a national disaster requir-ing urgent attention and mobilization of
resources.
Common values
It was agreed that the following would form a set of overall principles,
which should guide the formulation of policies and programmes:
1. Tripartism, allied with civil society, NGOs and other stakeholders
2. Social justice and compassion for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA).
3. A sense of shared responsibility among all actors.
4. Good governance, transparency and accountability for results.
5. Partnerships among international and Action againstHIV/AIDS in Africa
national agencies to complement one an-other on the basis of comparative
advantage.
Goals
It was agreed that, while awaiting a medical vaccine, the aim should
be to apply a "social vaccine" for prevention and protection
which would include elements such as: social inclusion, income and job
security, social security, solidarity and optimal use of treatment.
Actions
In order to achieve these goals, action backed by strong African political,
religious, traditional
and com-munity leadership and commitment should focus on:
1. Fighting the culture of denial.
2. Raising national awareness of the incidence and impact of the pandemic
through,
among other things, information, education and communication.
3. Eliminating the stigma and discrimination attached to HIV/AIDS by
adopting and
applying ILO's international labour stan-dards and national labour legislation.
4. Documenting and disseminating information and statistical data through
effective labour market information systems. 5. Strengthening the capacity
of the social partners to address the pandemic.
6. Empowering women economically, socially and politically in order
to reduce their vul-nerability to HIV/AIDS.
7. Promoting the transformation of gender roles, norms and social structures.
8. Integrating HIV/AIDS in existing social security schemes and developing
new ones to ensure coverage for all.
9. Building capacity to address the dilemma facing AIDS orphans and
children exposed to infection or forced into child labour.
10.Incorporating HIV/AIDS considerations into the national development
agenda and bud-get
allocations.
11. Creating a rapid response mechanism to mitigate against the implications
of the pan-demic.
12. Promoting income and employment oppor-tunities for PLWHA and their
families through, for example, informal sector and small enterprise
development.
HIV/AIDS
in Africa
13. Strengthening occupational safety and health systems to protect
groups at risk.
14.Formulating and implementing social and labour policies and programmes
that mitigate the effect of AIDS.
15. Effectively mobilizing resources.
16. Improving availability and affordability of drugs.
17.Incorporating HIV/AIDS in collective bar-gaining agreements.
Partnerships
In order to mount an effective response to the HIV/AIDS crisis and
address its many faceted impli-cations, national level partnerships
should be built rapidly among all the key actors: governments, employers’
and workers’ organizations, NGOs and other civil society groups,
including religious and tra-ditional leaders. Partnerships should also
be forged among and with bilateral and multilateral agencies, as well
as regional organizations and UN agencies through among others, joint
planning, collection, dis-semination and exchange of information on
good practice and ensuring synergy in programmes.
Role of the ILO
The ILO should strengthen its activities in fighting HIV/AIDS in the
Region through improved knowled-ge, vigorous advocacy and expanded services.
The ILO tripartite structure provides a unique mechanism for intensifying
the response to HIV/AIDS.
1. In order to avoid duplication of efforts, the ILO should collaborate
with concerned international organizations, participate in the decision-making
process regarding
HIV/AIDS at the global level, and consider becoming a co-sponsor of
UNAIDS.
2. The ILO should adapt and apply concepts, methods and tools it has
developed on labour and social issues for responding to the design of
research and programmes on HIV/AIDS.
3. The ILO should expand its capacity to deal with HIV/AIDS, especially
in its multidiscipli-nary teams, through, for example, training, resource
mobilization and secondment of experts from UNAIDS.
4. The ILO should undertake research and surveys to determine the implications
of HIV/AIDS for the world of work, including its Action against HIV/AIDS
in Africaeffects on the growth of the labour force and participation
rates, women, child labour, union membership, productivity and com-petitiveness,
informal sector and small enterprise development. 5. The ILO should
document and disseminate through all appropriate means information on
national experiences including best practices.
6. The ILO should engage in advocacy and training on HIV/AIDS and the
world of work targeting the political leadership, workers’, and
employers’, organizations and civil society.
7. The ILO should include HIV/AIDS in its regional meetings and consider
organizing a special session on the subject at the International Labour
Conference. 8. The ILO should integrate HIV/AIDS issues and gender components
in all its pro-grammes and technical cooperation
projects in the Region. 9. The ILO should develop a policy, program-me
and structure to address the issue of HIV/AIDS and the world of work.
10.The ILO should strengthen the capacity of 68
its social partners to formulate and effect-ively implement policies,
programmes and activities at the national and enterprise levels.
11.The ILO should consider submitting this draft Platform of Action
on HIV/AIDS in Africa to the 9th African Regional Meeting (Abidjan,
8-11 December 1999) for its consideration and formal adoption. Call
for immediate action
Action against HIV/AIDS is primarily a national res-ponsibility. The
enormity and exceptional nature of the problem require exceptional measures.
Member States are therefore urged to adopt and implement this Platform
of Action on an urgent, immediate and continuous basis.
Action against
HIV/AIDS
in Africa
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