PAHO Staff Policy Targets HIV in the Workplace

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has launched a workplace policy aimed at preventing HIV infections among staff members and their families, eliminating discrimination based on HIV status, and ensuring that staff who need treatment receive the best care available.

The HIV/AIDS workplace policy has a dual purpose, said PAHO Director Mirta Roses. "We want to ensure that workplace issues surrounding HIV are handled positively and proactively in our own house, and we want to serve as a role model for other organizations, especially in our member countries."

The policy details the rights of employees to information about HIV and to confidentiality and nondiscrimination regarding their HIV status. It also requires PAHO to make condoms and emergency post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) kits available in all its offices and centers and to provide access to voluntary, anonymous HIV testing and counseling. It requires PAHO country offices to take steps to reduce the risk of accidents and injuries, since safe blood supplies may be lacking in field situations.

As part of the policy's implementation, PAHO organized a series of orientation sessions that provided staff members an overview of the global HIV epidemic and detailed information on sources of infection, condom use, emergency post-exposure treatment, discriminatory and nondiscriminatory practices, and the rights of and benefits for staff members who are HIV-positive. PAHO employees are required to attend the workshops.

In addition, PAHO late last year offered free, anonymous, and confidential HIV screening for staff at mobile clinics stationed outside its Washington, D.C., headquarters. It is also providing staff with the names of private testing facilities and a list of "hotline" phone numbers for information and referrals on HIV/AIDS and post-exposure prophylaxis.

The PAHO workplace efforts are part of the United Nations initiative "U.N. Cares," which promotes education, prevention, and nondiscrimination regarding HIV in U.N. agencies throughout the world. The framework for the U.N. effort is the International Labor Organization's Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS in the World of Work.