Information about how the Bureau of International Labor Affairs is responding to the HIV/AIDS crisis with other U.S. government agencies and relief organizations

United States Department of Labor Bureau of International Labor Affairs

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Information about how the Bureau of International Labor Affairs is responding to the HIV/AIDS crisis with other U.S. government agencies and relief organizations.ILAB_HIV_Factsheet.pdf: 60 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

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USDOL Globally Addresses HIV/AIDS in the Workplace and for Orphans and Vulnerable Children Factsheet

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BUREAU OF INTERNATIONAL LABOR AFFAIRS 
           United States Department of Labor 
              
    ___________________________________________________________________            ____ 
USDOL Globally Addresses HIV/AIDS in the Workplace and for  
Orphans and Vulnerable Children 
 
U.S. DOL HIV/AIDS WORKPLACE PROGRAM 
 
In February 2000, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Bureau of International Labor Affairs 
(ILAB) launched a new program to respond to the HIV/AIDS crisis and examine the effect the 
pandemic has on productivity and the workforce in developing countries.   
 
? ILAB has received over $41 million to establish HIV/AIDS Workplace education 
programs in more than 30 countries.  To date the projects have reached over 2.9 million 
workers in over 600 enterprises and provided educational workshops and training to 
over 16,000 workers, managers and agency officials. 
 
? The program improves workers’ understanding about the spread of HIV/AIDS, so that 
workers reduce risk behaviors and HIV transmission.  The programs also educate 
workers on how to treat people living with HIV/AIDS with dignity and to reduce stigma 
and discrimination.   
 
? Building on ILAB’s experience bringing workers, employers and Ministries of Labor 
together to address workplace issues, ILAB brought these same stakeholders together to 
address HIV/AIDS.  Over the years, ILAB has worked with numerous implementing 
partners such as the International Labor Organization (ILO), Academy for Educational 
Development (AED), Family Health International (FHI), The Future’s Group, Project 
HOPE, World Vision and Research Triangle International (RTI).   
 
? ILAB’s primary implementer is the ILO’s HIV/AIDS Office (ILO/AIDS) which has 
established the well recognized HIV/AIDS Code of Practice, training manuals to 
implement the Code in the workplace, training manuals for employers and unions, and a 
toolkit for Behavior Change Communication (BCC) development, which are available on 
line (www.ilo.org/aids). 
 
                        
China:  Workers answering questionnaire in a                                  Russia: Training on Effective Communication in 
pilot enterprise, Kun Steel Corp.                                                       Moscow Region. 
 
  
   
? The USDOL workplace programs have been successful because they take advantage of a 
unique and underutilized venue for HIV programs.  The workplace is where employed 
adults spend most of their waking hours, a “captive” audience for education over time to 
influence behavior change and reduce discrimination.   
 
? These programs provide additional benefits as educated workers share HIV/AIDS 
information at home and in their communities, and link with other services such as 
Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT).  With a relatively stable audience, the 
workplace also facilitates effective monitoring and evaluation to verify the program’s 
impact.   
 
Success Stories 
 
? The ILAB programs provide a supportive work environment that allows people living 
with HIV/AIDS to continue working and to live with hope for the future.   
 
? NEPAL/NIGERIA:  The impact can be seen through both the individuals and 
enterprises that have worked with ILAB projects.  In Nepal, Ms. Kopila Giri says she is 
more respected now that she is a trained HIV/AIDS educator.  Her co-workers at the 
garment factory no longer shy away from talking about sensitive issues such as how 
HIV/AIDS is spread and how to prevent it, including candid discussions on condom use.  
She contributes at least two hours each week to talk to her colleagues during their free 
time on Fridays.  Whenever she feels doubt, she reminds herself of all the people whose 
lives she has touched.  In Nigeria, one worker stated that, “Before they [DOL-funded 
program] came, I was ignorant, I never believed in those things. But they touched me and 
because of them I am very careful of the way I live my life now.”  
 
? INDIA/RUSSIA/SOUTH AFRICA:  Management’s participation has also proven 
critical to success.  PepsiCo India has implemented a comprehensive program covering 
its 5,464 workers, and is reaching into its supply chain as well. “Our HIV/AIDS response 
is not about philanthropy,” said Pavan Phatia, Vice President of Human Resources for 
PepsicCo India.  “It is as much about our responsibility as it is about our survival.”  In 
Russia, the Kola Mining and Smelting Combine, one of the largest nickel producers in 
the world, adopted a policy on HV/AIDS which will cover 8,000 workers.  In South 
Africa on Worlds Aids Day managers at Londolozi Game reserve took an important step 
in implementing their HIV/AIDS program, by taking HIV tests themselves. This resulted 
in many workers coming forward to receive their own tests and results.   
 
    ___________________________________________________________________            ____ 
 
U.S. DOL AND ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN 
 
Since 2001, ILAB has provided $83 million in funding for 19 projects to combat exploitive child 
labor amongst HIV/AIDS-affected children in 19 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. 
 
? These technical assistance projects address HIV/AIDS as a central focus, as one 
component of a larger project, or as an overarching issue through capacity building, 
awareness-raising and research efforts.  Eight of these projects make assistance to 
children orphaned by AIDS, children heading their own households, and children caring 
for sick parents, one of their priorities when withdrawing and preventing children from 
exploitive labor and providing them with educational services.   
 
? These ILAB programs are being implemented by partners, including the ILO’s 
International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor (ILO-IPEC), World Vision, the 
International Rescue Committee (IRC), AED, American Institutes for Research, Jesus 
Cares Ministries, Winrock International, Save the Children UK, Catholic Relief Services, 
Education Development Center, Inc., and the Christian Children’s Fund.   
 
Success Stories 
 
KURET: In September 2004, ILAB funded a $14.5 million regional project targeting children 
living in HIV/AIDS-affected districts who are engaged in or at-risk of entering exploitive child 
labor in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Kuret and Ethiopia.  Implemented by World Vision, IRC, and 
AED, the 4-year KURET project has to date withdrawn or prevented 30,242 HIV/AIDS-affected 
children from the worst forms of child labor through direct educational services.  In addition, due 
to advocacy efforts of KURET, and two other ILAB-funded projects being executed by ILO-
IPEC and the IRC, the Ugandan Parliament passed a National Child Labor Policy in November 
2006.    
 
ILO-IPEC Regional HIV/AIDS Project: Implemented by ILO-IPEC, this $3 million project 
has successfully withdrawn or prevented from involvement in the worst forms of child labor 
4,916 HIV/AID-affected children in Uganda and Zambia.  Funded by ILAB in September 2004, 
the project also has developed a curriculum for teaching school children about HIV/AIDS and 
has piloted a community-based social safety net model for replication throughout Sub-Saharan 
Africa. 
 
    ___________________________________________________________________            ____ 
 
PRESIDENT’S EMERGENCY PLAN FOR AIDS RELIEF (PEPFAR) 
 
Since the Administration’s launch of the PEPFAR program in 2003, ILAB has worked to support 
the PEPFAR goals to coordinate strategy and support the most effective U.S. government 
programs.    
 
? In the field, ILAB programs are recognized as successful champions in the fight against 
HIV/AIDS in the workplace, and have received $4,260,050 over four years from the 
Office of the Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC) for its projects in Haiti, Vietnam, 
Nigeria, Guyana, India, Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland.   
 
? The funding comes on a fiscal-year basis and is used to support existing projects or to 
extend the ILAB programs in these countries.  In addition, ILAB has provided critical 
technical support to the working groups reviewing workplace projects throughout the 
PEPFAR program. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
For more information about us, our publications or to contact us, please visit our Web site at: 
http://www.dol.gov/ilab/ 
 


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USDOL Globally Addresses HIV/AIDS in the Workplace and for Orphans and Vulnerable Children Factsheet

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