[procaare] HIV in the United Nations?

[AIDS2002 <procaare@usa.healthnet.org>]

HIV in the United Nations?
***************************

Following a satellite panel that brought together UNIFEM and ILO representatives and one
community person to discuss the issues of HIV/AIDS in the World of Work, as well as the
issue of the Care Economy, a provocative question came from the floor about HIV/AIDS
within the United Nations workplace: "HIV is now the leading cause of death among UN
workers, worldwide. What is the UN doing for its own staff?"

This question was officiously answered, with the response that the UN - led by UNAIDS and
the ILO - are pulling together a programme to deal with HIV/AIDS within the UN. But it
opens up the real question of how can the UN be a role model to the rest of the world if
it is not seen to be taking adequate care of its own staff?

Perhaps the UN is doing effective work in-house, but we're not hearing about it. As one
former UN staffer told us, "UNAIDS is very supportive of its HIV-infected and affected
staff, but the rest of the system has a long way to catch up. I still have newly diagnosed
HIV-positive UN staff referred to me for counseling, yet I have been out of the system for
nearly five years - clearly there is a lack".

While the UN focuses much attention on the issue of unpaid caregivers for people with HIV
or dying of AIDS, what of the HIV-positive worker who is also a caregiver? Who cares for
them? Often UN staff support a large extended family with their salaries - what happens if
they are unable to work either due to their own illness or absenteeism necessitated by
caring for others in their home or communities?

Are individuals supported? Are offices able to find "creative employment strategies to
support people infected or affected by HIV?", a concept Nailini Burn, a technical expert
on gender and economics working with UNIFEM, so eloquently stated as the ultimate goal of
this work. As we continue through this week of deliberations, we must always come back to
question "are we taking care of our own?" before we assert our suggestions for others.

Key Correspondent
Health & Development Networks

AIDS2002 Conference
Barcelona, July 7-12, 2002

Email: correspondents@hdnet.org
Web: http://www.hdnet.org

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