Ministry of Labour Re-Initiates HIV/AIDS Policy in the Workplace Initiative

Today at the Biltmore Plaza in Belize City, the Ministry of Labour, the National AIDS Commission, and five organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding affirming their commitment to introduce an HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy. But even before that signing, representatives from over a dozen companies from the public and private sectors received certificates for having completed their round of training. News Five spoke with NAC’s Executive Director Enrique Romero and Minister of Labour Oscar Requeña.

Oscar Requeña

Oscar Requeña, Minister of Labour

“This is very important because when we look at the statistics, we have almost four thousand persons in Belize who are infected and their families are affected by HIV/AIDS and certainly in line with our obligations as a country under the ILO conventions, we have a right to promote equality; we have a right to promote the right to decent work, the right to non-discrimination in the workplace and the right to support and love for these persons who are affected. We have other companies who have expressed interests. So we hope that all the trainers who have participated that they can go back to their workplace and work with their employers to put in place those policies and programs that are going to ensure that there is non-discrimination in the workplace and there is support for those people who are infected and affected.”

Enrique Romero

Enrique Romero, Executive Director, Nations AIDS Commission

“By the Ministry of Labour partnering with the NAC and working with the organisations to have an HIV and AIDS Workplace Policy that is one way we can tap into the workforce and the young people and have them understand firstly the information and knowledge of the infection, and disease, what can be done to prevent it and what can be done to provide care and treatment and support services for people that are infected and affected. So it is tapping into a huge number of persons in the country, in our society.”

Every year, there are about two hundred new HIV cases within the age range of twenty to forty-four, but particularly twenty to twenty-four.  The National AIDS Commission has branches in almost all municipalities to engage with employers about adopting the HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy.