With a view to promoting enhanced AIDS/HIV prevention in the work place, China has kick-started a national initiative- HIV/AIDS Workplace Education Program, funded by the United States and monitored by the International Labor Organization. The program is slated to cost $3.5 million.
Hu Xiaoyi, vice-minister of Labor and Social Security, during the launch of the program said, "China is now at a critical stage in fighting HIV/AIDS. We should try our best to prevent the spread of the disease from high-risk groups to the general public."The program on AIDS Prevention and Control seeks to safeguard the rights of marriage, employment, medical care and education of the HIV affected. Further, the program resolves to eliminate bias against people with HIV/AIDS in the workplace.
Richard Howard, an ILO official and the program's chief technical adviser, said, "We will motivate enterprises that employ a large number of rural migrant workers to join our program and urge them to fully implement HIV guidelines. Our goal is that all workers with HIV/AIDS are well protected. They can get jobs, keep jobs and have access to AIDS prevention services, such as education, treatment and voluntary testing and counseling."
Source-Medindia
SAV
