New campaign promoting Voluntary HIV Counselling and Testing at work

The VCT@WORK initiative is part of the ILO’s efforts to enable workers to know their HIV status and seek treatment, if necessary.

The campaign aims to reach out 10,000 working women and men in six enterprises in Cherkassy region with awareness raising activities and facilitating access to Voluntary and confidential HIV Counselling and Testing (VCT) for 2,000 workers.

The launch was attended by 45 participants, including Ms. Valentyna Kovalenko, Head of the Cherkassy Regional Council, in addition to representatives of the local administration, trade unions, employers’ organizations, selected enterprises and NGOs. The event was chaired by Mr Petro Shevchenko, Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of Cherkassy region.

Following the approval of a workplan for 2015, all participants were invited to undergo a voluntary HIV counselling and testing organized by the Cherkassy Regional AIDS Centre, one of the key implementing agencies of VCT@ WORK in Ukraine.

A total of 25 key local leaders from public administration, industry, educational sector and civil society underwent VCT demonstrating their commitment and were awarded a certificates.

The VCT@WORK Campaign will encourage more working women and men to undertake VCT to know their status, and start treatment, if needed.