Voluntary HIV testing targets five million workers by 2015

About 40 per cent of people living with HIV, the virus that causes Aids, don’t know their status and are missing out on accessing treatment, according to a recent statement from the International Labour Organisation (ILO). In many countries, this figure is higher than 50 per cent as further stated in a statement that ILO released on Thursday. It’s in this regard, therefore that ILO supported by UNAIDS, has launched a new initiative dubbed the VCT@WORK initiative, (voluntary counselling and testing) to reach five million workers with voluntary and confidential HIV counselling and testing by 2015. This is part of the ILO’s efforts to achieve Millennium Development Goal 6 and the global target of reaching 15 million people living with HIV with lifesaving antiretroviral treatment by 2015. The VCT@WORK initiative is therefore a key component of the ILO’s “Getting to Zero at Work” campaign, which was jointly launched with UNAIDS and WHO on World AIDS Day 2012. This initiative will further ensure that people who test positive are referred to HIV services for care and support, and treatment if needed. Michel Sidibe, the Executive Director of UNAIDS called upon workplaces to embrace this new initiative which will help expand access to HIV testing within a healthy, enabling environment and linking to on-going support including treatment. ILO’s Director General, Guy Ryder, urged all ministries of labour, employers’ and workers’ organisations to join forces and turn this target into reality. Ryder further stated that in order to reach this goal, there is need to work together to ensure that all workplaces are free of stigma and discrimination. “The countdown to 2015 has begun; let us make each day count. We want to use the mobilising power of the ILO to encourage five million working women and men to undertake voluntary HIV testing by 2015,” Ryder said. India has already launched a national VCT@WORK programme while South Africa and Tanzania are expected to do the same in a few months time. HIV/Aids in Rwanda On average, more than two million people in Rwanda go for HIV testing every year according to Doctor Sabin Nsanzimana, the Coordinator of HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) care and treatment at Rwanda Biomedical Centre. Uptake of HIV testing has also increased, with 37.7 percent of men and 38.6 percent of women having received results of an HIV test within the past 12 months according to the 2010 Rwanda Demographic Health Survey (RDHS). This is more than triple in comparison with the 11.0 percent of men and 11.6 percent of women testing and receiving results according to the RDHS 2005. HIV prevalence among the general population aged 15-49 years in Rwanda is 3.0 percent; according to the 2010 RDHS. HIV prevalence is higher among women (3.7percent) than men (2.2 percent) and higher in urban areas (7.1 percent) than in rural areas (2.3 percent). According to UNAIDS, it is estimated that seven million people currently eligible for treatment are not accessing it.