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Labour force weakened by AIDS

    JOHANNESBURG

    The International Labour Organisation (ILO) says an estimated 6,000 youths are infected with HIV/AIDS daily, which will have devastating effects on the labour force in high-prevalence African countries.

    At the launch of the 'ILO Code of Practice on HIV/AIDS in the World of Work' in three Nigerian languages, ILO Regional Director Cornelius Dzakpasu said the disease had reduced the labour force in such countries by 20 percent, resulting in lower productivity and posing a great challenge to economic growth.

    In response to this challenge, the labour organisation had adopted the Code in 2001 to "help safeguard the conditions of decent work and protect the rights and dignity of workers and people living with HIV/AIDS".

    Dzakpasu described the Code as "a pioneering instrument that addresses present problems and anticipates future consequences of the pandemic and its impact in the world of work".

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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