AIDS prophylaxis--achievements due to appropriate strategies

Seafaring as an occupation possesses a special blend of conditions that is strongly influencing the spread of HIV and is making prevention programs difficult to succeed. Actual prevention programs in the shipping industry are not showing success. Social partners are in a unique position to promote prevention efforts, particularly in relation to changing attitudes and behaviours through the provision of information and education, and in addressing socio-economic factors. Together with major international organizations they have created an initiative named "Global Partnership on HIV and Mobile Workers in the Maritime Sector", designed to be a project that is realistic, achievable, and focused on prevention among seafarers whose sustainability will be created through linking organizations with a long-term commitment and integration in the lives of seafarers with intergovernmental organizations. This new global prevention programme aims to address this challenge by making a series of interventions along the route of their migration. The identified problems of HIV prevention in the shipping industry addressed in its design are presented together with its structure and aims.