OUTREACH

HIV and the loneliness of the long-distance driver

A pioneering study co-financed by OFID and the International Labor Organization (ILO) has broken new ground by measuring HIV/AIDS vulnerability among transport workers in Paraguay.
by Anna Ilaria-Mayrhofer

ong-distance driving is a stressful and lonely job, involving long hours on the road and often extended administrative delays at border crossings. In Paraguay, where overnight accommodation is of poor quality or expensive, most truck drivers sleep in their vehicles. It is an isolated lifestyle, and one conducive to the kind of risky sexual practices that leave truckers susceptible to HIV infection. The aim of the ILO study, A truck drivers life: Working conditions and sexual health, was to measure the HIV/AIDS vulnerability of transport drivers in order to design prevention and care programs in priority areas, and to engage in awareness-raising to reduce discrimination and stigmatization. The research was carried out under a broader ILO/OFID project: Application of HIV/AIDS Workplace Policies in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, which OFID co-funded with a US$2.5 million grant.

38

OFID QUARTERLY OCTOBER 2012

OUTREACH

With the help of a specially developed manual, truck drivers in Paraguay have been able to reduce their susceptibility to HIV.

rest stops; routes regularly driven; frequency of condom use; fidelity in relationships; knowledge of HIV and its transmission; and, whether they felt they would lose their jobs if diagnosed with HIV; as well as attitudes and opinions on gender and sexuality.

Innovating for results

Eric Carlson, ILOs Regional HIV/AIDS Specialist for South America, spoke to the Quarterly about the project. He explained that the study was the first of its kind in Paraguay the first to look at the sexual behavior of men in the general population, and the first on HIV that focused specifically on truck drivers. We broke a lot of barriers, he said. We held roundtables with truck drivers, employers and people living with HIV/AIDS. They all shared information and as a result of this collaboration, we were able to devise a number of information materials, including a manual for truck drivers. The feedback we received really enriched these materials. ILO is at pains to point out that the study was carried out to gain a better understanding of the risk factors among the drivers in order to create viable solutions, and that the drivers were in no way singled out or blamed for the HIV situation. Stigmatizing transport workers helps drive the problem underground and makes the disease spread faster, the organization said. As a result of the project, the transport sector in Paraguay was able to realize other achievements as well, such as the development of a national HIV workplace policy, as well as a national transport sector strategy that formed part of the Paraguay national HIV/AIDS response.

Eric Carlson, ILOs Regional HIV/AIDS Specialist for South America.

PHOTO: LIANXUN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

HIV hotspots
In Paraguay, the majority of HIV cases among transport workers are concentrated in the capital Asuncin, the Central Region and regions bordering Argentina and Brazil. ILO data showed that the largest prevalence occurred in so-called hotspots: stops where goods are loaded and unloaded or where truckers endure long waits to get their documentation processed. In order to gain a better understanding of the situation from the workers point of view, the ILO devised a study to examine the issue of HIV vulnerability in seven cities where incidence is highest. Data was collected in the form of a questionnaire, which participants answered via a 45 minute face-to-face interview. Those interviewed were 279 truck (goods transport) and 58 long-distance (passenger transport) drivers between the ages of 18 and 49. Questions covered areas such as frequency/location of

Success breeds replication

Carlson has since been approached by officials from Chile seeking to implement similar programs. Representatives from Africa and Asia have also expressed an interested in the model to apply to their own countries. We all know that there is a relationship between HIV and poverty, said Carlson, pointing out that poverty eradication was a core part of ILOs mission its so-called decent work agenda. With the Paraguay study we broke barriers; we helped overcome homophobia and other forms of discrimination. There is a long road to travel, but we are on the right path now. And I think thats largely because of the OFID/ILO relationship. You can read the complete study on the ILO website at www.ilo.org

OFID QUARTERLY OCTOBER 2012

39