At a time when HIV is still spreading steadily across the globe, we are also witnessing progress in controlling this deadly disease. Responses to the AIDS epidemic have grown and improved considerably over the last few years. The objective of this E-bulletin is to circulate AIDS-related news, publications, literature and research to affiliated unions and others working in this field. It is a part of our new Global HIV/AIDS project, which is targeting ITF affiliates all over the globe. Get involved! For further information and queries please contact Dr. Syed Asif Altaf, Global HIV/AIDS Project Coordinator, Altaf_Asif@itf.org.uk or the Regional Education Coordinator in your ITF region, ITF Education Department: education@itf.org.uk .

This issue of the E-bulletin will look at workplace intervention on HIV/AIDS implemented by the Trade Union of Sihanoukville autonomous port, Cambodia; HIV/AIDS situation among MSMs in Australia.    The issue will also focus on a recent report from the ILO about workplace attitude towards HIV/AIDS and acceptance of condoms.

Workplace intervention on HIV/AIDS implemented by the Trade Union of Sihanoukville autonomous port, Cambodia

Although Cambodia has one of the highest HIV/AIDS infection rate in Asia, the country is making major inroads in its war against the epidemic. Due to a multifaceted campaign and well-focused and sustained prevention effort by the Cambodian government, the United Nations and several nongovernmental organisations, we are witnessing a reversal of the epidemic. Nationally HIV prevalence rate has fallen to an estimated 0.9% among the adult population in 2006, down from a peak of 2% in 1998. The most common method of transmission of HIV in Cambodia is through males who have unprotected sex with sex workers and then bring it home to their wives, who in turn pass it to their newborn children during childbirth. At the heart of the success is the government's decision to order all brothels, which are legal in Cambodia, to require sex workers to insist on the use of condoms.

Trade Union of Sihanoukville autonomous port, Cambodia through their ongoing workplace programme on HIV/AIDS is making a vital contribution in the national response to control the epidemic. Their workplace intervention, which is supported by the port authority, includes education programme for all workers and their families through peer educators; condom promotion; managing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and other opportunistic infections; providing antiretroviral drugs to the infected workers and their families. They have formed a HIV/AIDS management committee to supervise and monitor the workplace programme.

New HIV cases among MSM expected to increase by almost 75% in Australian state by 2015

Although the total number of HIV positive people in Australia is still very low (total around 16,000) and the adult prevalence rate is less then 0.2%, according to a report released recently by the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research, new HIV cases among men who have sex with men(MSM) are expected to increase by 73.5% by 2015 in the Australian state of Victoria if the current trends continue. The report analyzed a 44% annual increase in the number of new HIV cases nationally among MSM. It found that the number of new HIV cases among MSM in Victoria increased by 96% between 1999 and 2006. New cases in Victoria among MSM likely will increase significantly by another 73.5% by 2015, according to the report.

The report predicted a 20% increase in new HIV cases among MSM in Queensland, which has reported a 68% increase in new cases among MSM since 1999. The number of new HIV cases nationwide will increase by 8.5% if current trends continue, according to the report.  Reduced condom use among MSM and an increase in other sexually transmitted infections, such as gonorrhoea and syphilis, are contributing to the increase in HIV cases, according to David Wilson, lead author of the report and head of the infectious diseases modelling unit at NCHECR. About 12,313 Australians were diagnosed with HIV between 1983 and 2006, according to a recent NCHECR survey. The number of new cases decreased by 30% in the 1990s and then increased between 2000 and 2006. Wilson said the report found that MSM in the country are complacent about the virus. "Our feeling is that HIV is now considered a manageable lifetime chronic disease and not the scary death threat it was many years ago when we didn't have treatment, so a lot of complacency has set in," he said. Wilson added that the report provides a "good opportunity to intervene" in an effort to reduce the predicted increases.

Workplace attitudes toward people living with HIV/AIDS, acceptance of condoms improving, ILO report finds  

Workplace attitudes toward people living with HIV/AIDS, and acceptance of condom use and other preventive measures have increased in some countries as a result of HIV policies and practices, according to the report "Saving Lives, Protecting Jobs," prepared by the International Labour Organization (ILO). The report tracked changes in attitudes related to HIV/AIDS and looked at data collected from the ministries of labour, employers and employees from workplaces in six Strategic HIV/AIDS Responses in Enterprises, or SHARE project pilot countries (Belize, Benin, Cambodia, Ghana, Guyana and Togo). According to the report, in all six countries, the proportion of workers who reported supportive attitudes toward co-workers living with HIV/AIDS increased on average from 49% in 2003 to 63%. Attitudes toward condom use also improved in the six countries.


The percentage of workers who reported using condoms with non-regular partners increased from 74% in 2003 to 84%, the report found. The recorded changes in behaviour could be attributed partly to the increased access to HIV services in the workplaces in all six countries. According to an ILO release, the report also found that in 2003 when SHARE started, only 14% of the participating workplaces in the six pilot countries had codified HIV policies. The report found that 76% of the participating enterprises now have written policies. ILO's SHARE project is active in more than 650 workplaces in 24 countries and covers about one million workers.