ILO encourages workers to know their HIV satus at the 11th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP)
The ILO is organizing and participating in a series of events to highlight the importance of workplace actions and policies to ensure workplaces are free from stigma and discrimination and encourage workers to know their HIV status at the occasion of the 11th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) which opens Monday, 18 November, in Bangkok, Thailand, under the theme "Asia/Pacific Reaching Triple Zero: Investing in Innovation".
18 November 2013
BANGKOK (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization (ILO) is organizing and participating in a series of events to highlight the importance of workplace actions and policies to ensure workplaces are free from stigma and discrimination and encourage workers to know their HIV status at the occasion of the 11th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) which opens Monday, 18 November, in Bangkok, Thailand, under the theme "Asia/Pacific Reaching Triple Zero: Investing in Innovation".
The rapid expansion of access to antiretroviral treatment remains one of the most remarkable achievements of the HIV and AIDS response. Despite these gains, an estimated 28.3 million people are eligible for treatment but the majority are not accessing it. UNAIDS estimates that around half of all people living with HIV globally, do not know their HIV status, thus preventing them from accessing treatment. In this context, HIV testing must be scaled up significantly if the global target of reaching 15 million people with HIV treatment by 2015 is to be met.
The ILO’s contribution to this endeavour is an innovative global public-private partnership involving governments, employers’, workers’ and their organizations aiming at reaching 5 million workers by 2015 with voluntary and confidential HIV counselling and testing. Launched in June 2013, the VCT@WORK initiative calls for action and is a catalyser for partnerships at the national, sectoral and workplaces levels to reach workers in the public and private sectors, in the formal and informal economy, their family members and their communities. “While standing firmly by the principle that there should be no HIV screening for employment purposes, we hope that the ILO’s VCT@WORK initiative will re-energize voluntary testing and emphasize the right of workers to know their status and access treatment when needed” explains Alice Ouédraogo, Director of ILO HIV/AIDS and the World of Work Branch.
Led by the ILO with support of UNAIDS, VCT@WORK is an inclusive rights-based initiative founded on the guidelines and principles of the ILO’s Recommendation on HIV and AIDS and the World of Work (No. 200). The initiative stipulates that HIV testing must be genuinely voluntary, that results should be confidential and that testing should not endanger access to jobs or opportunities for advancement. It calls for joint efforts towards the vision of zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.
The 11th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific will feature events and sessions on the importance of workplace actions to protect labour rights of people living with HIV and to ensure that all workers are treated equally, regardless of their HIV status.
The conference will be held at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok.
On Wednesday 20 November, the ILO will participate at the “Meet the UN Leaders” session in the Community Village forum at 10:30.
From 12:15, Mrs Ouédraogo will be speaking during a Satellite Meeting entitled (SM62) “Leveraging innovative Social Protection Schemes to accelerate 'Getting to Zero'” in Hall I. This panel discussion will explore how leveraging social protection schemes for adolescents and adult key affected populations not only targets the structural drivers of HIV but can facilitate access to basic programmes and support critical enablers. The session will present novel initiatives and evidences on HIV and social protection, as well as short videos.
Also from 12:15, the ILO is involved in a second Satellite Meeting entitled (SM08)“Getting to Zero Discrimination in Healthcare Settings in Asia” in Hall I.
Later that day, from 15:45 in hall I, will be held a presentation entitled (ICAAP1217-01155)“Using occupational safety and health management systems in workplaces to incorporate HIV and sexual reproductive health” during the (OR10) “Contextualizing HIV interventions” Oral Session.
ILO is also involved in the following events:
• On Thursday 21 November:
- A Skills Building Workshop (SBW22) “How to effectively utilize WISE SHAPE manuel - Improving safety and health in adult places of entertainment” from 10:15 at Hall L ;
- Two Oral Sessions (ICAAP3047-01915) “Getting to zero at healthcare workplaces” and (ICAAP2766-01230) “Promote positive living and reduce self-stigmatization among PLHIV in Sri Lanka” from 10:30 at Hall G ;
- A Satellite Meeting (SM28) “Getting to zero in the workplace” from 12:15 at Hall F .
• On Friday 22 November:
- An Oral Session (ICAAP3275-01638) “Legal AIDS Services Turn the Tide on Discrimination in China” from 10:30 at Hall C ;
- A Satellite Meeting (SM59) “Getting to zero at healthcare workplaces” (ICAAP3047-01915) from 14:00 at Hall G .
The ILO is a UNAIDS co-sponsor and the lead UN agency for HIV/AIDS policies and programmes in the world of work and private sector mobilization. Addressing HIV/AIDS is an integral part of the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda. The ILO Programme on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work (ILO/AIDS) was established in 2001 and contributes to the UN Millennium Development Goals by achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support through workplaces.
For more information, during the 11th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific, contact:
Richard Howard, Senior Specialist on HIV and AIDS, Asia and the Pacific, International Labour Organization, Bangkok, Thailand
Tel. +66 2 288 1765, +66829601234, email
Josée Laporte, Technical Specialist, HIV/AIDS and the World of Work Branch (ILO/AIDS), Geneva, Switzerland
Tel. +41 78 882 6118, email
Adam Bowers, Communications Officer, ILO Geneva, Switzerland
Tel. +41 22 799 6126, email
The rapid expansion of access to antiretroviral treatment remains one of the most remarkable achievements of the HIV and AIDS response. Despite these gains, an estimated 28.3 million people are eligible for treatment but the majority are not accessing it. UNAIDS estimates that around half of all people living with HIV globally, do not know their HIV status, thus preventing them from accessing treatment. In this context, HIV testing must be scaled up significantly if the global target of reaching 15 million people with HIV treatment by 2015 is to be met.
The ILO’s contribution to this endeavour is an innovative global public-private partnership involving governments, employers’, workers’ and their organizations aiming at reaching 5 million workers by 2015 with voluntary and confidential HIV counselling and testing. Launched in June 2013, the VCT@WORK initiative calls for action and is a catalyser for partnerships at the national, sectoral and workplaces levels to reach workers in the public and private sectors, in the formal and informal economy, their family members and their communities. “While standing firmly by the principle that there should be no HIV screening for employment purposes, we hope that the ILO’s VCT@WORK initiative will re-energize voluntary testing and emphasize the right of workers to know their status and access treatment when needed” explains Alice Ouédraogo, Director of ILO HIV/AIDS and the World of Work Branch.
Led by the ILO with support of UNAIDS, VCT@WORK is an inclusive rights-based initiative founded on the guidelines and principles of the ILO’s Recommendation on HIV and AIDS and the World of Work (No. 200). The initiative stipulates that HIV testing must be genuinely voluntary, that results should be confidential and that testing should not endanger access to jobs or opportunities for advancement. It calls for joint efforts towards the vision of zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.
The 11th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific will feature events and sessions on the importance of workplace actions to protect labour rights of people living with HIV and to ensure that all workers are treated equally, regardless of their HIV status.
The conference will be held at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok.
On Wednesday 20 November, the ILO will participate at the “Meet the UN Leaders” session in the Community Village forum at 10:30.
From 12:15, Mrs Ouédraogo will be speaking during a Satellite Meeting entitled (SM62) “Leveraging innovative Social Protection Schemes to accelerate 'Getting to Zero'” in Hall I. This panel discussion will explore how leveraging social protection schemes for adolescents and adult key affected populations not only targets the structural drivers of HIV but can facilitate access to basic programmes and support critical enablers. The session will present novel initiatives and evidences on HIV and social protection, as well as short videos.
Also from 12:15, the ILO is involved in a second Satellite Meeting entitled (SM08)“Getting to Zero Discrimination in Healthcare Settings in Asia” in Hall I.
Later that day, from 15:45 in hall I, will be held a presentation entitled (ICAAP1217-01155)“Using occupational safety and health management systems in workplaces to incorporate HIV and sexual reproductive health” during the (OR10) “Contextualizing HIV interventions” Oral Session.
ILO is also involved in the following events:
• On Thursday 21 November:
- A Skills Building Workshop (SBW22) “How to effectively utilize WISE SHAPE manuel - Improving safety and health in adult places of entertainment” from 10:15 at Hall L ;
- Two Oral Sessions (ICAAP3047-01915) “Getting to zero at healthcare workplaces” and (ICAAP2766-01230) “Promote positive living and reduce self-stigmatization among PLHIV in Sri Lanka” from 10:30 at Hall G ;
- A Satellite Meeting (SM28) “Getting to zero in the workplace” from 12:15 at Hall F .
• On Friday 22 November:
- An Oral Session (ICAAP3275-01638) “Legal AIDS Services Turn the Tide on Discrimination in China” from 10:30 at Hall C ;
- A Satellite Meeting (SM59) “Getting to zero at healthcare workplaces” (ICAAP3047-01915) from 14:00 at Hall G .
The ILO is a UNAIDS co-sponsor and the lead UN agency for HIV/AIDS policies and programmes in the world of work and private sector mobilization. Addressing HIV/AIDS is an integral part of the ILO’s Decent Work Agenda. The ILO Programme on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work (ILO/AIDS) was established in 2001 and contributes to the UN Millennium Development Goals by achieving universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support through workplaces.
For more information, during the 11th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific, contact:
Richard Howard, Senior Specialist on HIV and AIDS, Asia and the Pacific, International Labour Organization, Bangkok, Thailand
Tel. +66 2 288 1765, +66829601234, email
Josée Laporte, Technical Specialist, HIV/AIDS and the World of Work Branch (ILO/AIDS), Geneva, Switzerland
Tel. +41 78 882 6118, email
Adam Bowers, Communications Officer, ILO Geneva, Switzerland
Tel. +41 22 799 6126, email