Indonesia's migrant workers need more Aids info

09 Mar 2007

UN agency the International Labour Organisation (ILO) is calling on the government in Indonesia to do more to inform migrant workers about the dangers of HIV, reports the Jakarta Post.

The infection rate among workers which move in and out the country is particularly high and campaigners are growing increasingly concerned about the speed at which HIV is spreading.

Alan Boulton, director of the ILO in the Asian country, said that those who arrive from abroad are often more vulnerable that natives and women particularly, are at risk of being infected.

He added that despite this, migrant workers were vital to the economy of the country and that they contributed a huge deal to Indonesia's social welfare.

Speaking in Jakarta on International Woman's Day, Mr Boulton said: "The challenge is to find ways of maximising migration's contribution to growth and development while providing appropriate protection for them, including information and advice about abuse suffered by many female migrant workers and the risks of HIV infection."

Figures recently collated by the Association of Migrant Workers Health show that 161 potential female migrant workers out of a total of 145,289 tested positive for HIV in 2005.

A separate survey shows, however, that despite the high infection rates, the number of migrant workers who actually know about HIV or how to prevent its spread is low.

The study, which observed workers in three cities - Sumenep, Malang and Bojonegoro - showed that youngsters had very little if any access to information about the disease.

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