THE VCT@WORK INITIATIVE
a presentation by
Akua Ofori-Asumadu
ITUC 2nd Women World Conference
What is the VCT@WORK
Initiative?
• Launched by the ILO and UNAIDS in June
2013 at the 102nd ILC
• Contributes to achieving the global target
of 15 million by 2015 (2011 Political
Declaration on HIV and AIDS)
WHAT ARE THE
OBJECTIVES?
• To promote HIV testing to enable five
million women and men workers,(their
spouses and community members) to
know their status by 2015
• To facilitate access to antiretroviral
treatment (ART) for women and men
workers, (their spouses and community
members) who test positive and are
eligible for ART.
Why the VCT@WORK
Initiative?
• Low levels of HIV testing (UNAIDS Report)
– About 7.0 million people are currently eligible, but are not
receiving treatment.
– The majority do not know their HIV status
• Increased availability of treatment
– HIV is no longer a death sentence
– HIV treatments today are both effective and easier to take
• The unique contribution of the world of work
– The world of work constitutes the largest population of people
living with HIV globally
– As the UN agency mandated to address world of work issues, the
ILO’s comparative advantage is its ability to reach millions of
workers in both the formal and informal economies.
Why the VCT@WORK
Initiative?
• A more conducive legal and policy
environment that builds upon:
• tripartite HIV and AIDS national/sectoral workplace
policies
• labour legislation and policy
• Building the capacity of labour judges, magistrates,
parliamentarians, labour factory inspectors and other
world of work actors
• Taking HIV testing IN and THROUGH the
workplace
– i.e. a considerable amount of HTC will still take
place within healthcare settings
Where and When will the
VCT@WORK Initiative
be implemented?
• A two-phase approach will be taken to
operationalize the VCT@WORK Initiative
at the country level
• The first phase will be in a few countries
where there is already political buy-in and
expressed commitment to the initiative
(Brazil, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Nigeria
and South Africa)
Where and When?
• Emphasis will be placed on UNAIDS High
Impact Countriesiative
• ILO and its partners will undertake a global
mapping exercise to identify on-going activities
• Every effort will be made to support VCT
initiatives that the ILO‘s constituents could
associate themselves with
How should the VCT
tests be carried out
The initiative is not a one-size-fits-all
• HTC conducted as part of an integrated health
and wellness testing approach
• Stand alone
• Different approaches: CICT – VCT, PICT, HIV
Self-Testing, Couples Testing and Multi-disease
campaigns
Which principles
must be adhered to?
• The key principles for HIV Testing are:
– Consent
– Confidentiality,
– Counselling,
– Convenience and
– Connection to care
How will it be different?
• The VCT@WORK Initiative is being situated
within a coordinated approach comprising a
number of interventions:
– the Getting to Zero@Work Campaign
– Recommendation No. 200 on HIV and AIDS
– Other International Labour Standards.
Why do Trade Union
need to do anything
about VCT@Work?
Because:
• HIV exists in complex relationships with
poverty, inequality, discrimination and illiteracy
• workers - and their families, workplaces and
communities that depend on them are bearing the brunt of the epidemic
Why do Trade Union
need to do anything
about VCT@Work?
• The burden is on the most vulnerable people
in society: women, children and the poor
• HIV is no longer a death sentence and PLHIV can
expect to live long healthy and productive lives
• Early diagnosis is key and VCT is the gateway for
access to treatment
Union action contains
a clear message:
The principles, experience, networks and mass
membership of trade unions are a shared
resource and a potentially powerful tool in
society’s search for new fronts, bold initiatives
and effective action in response to the
mitigation of the impact of HIV
(Global reach: how trade unions are responding to AIDS - Case
studies of union action)
Conclusion
• “Zero new infections, zero discrimination and
zero AIDS-related deaths start at work.”
• «Zéro nouvelle infection. Zéro discrimination. Zéro
décès lié au sida. La réalisation de ce triple objectif
commence sur le lieu de travail.»
Sharan Burrow, General Secretary - International Trade
Union Confederation (ITUC)
.....and YOU can make it
happen
THANK YOU