KARACHI, Sept 18: HIV and AIDS, a global threat both at the workplace and beyond, can be subtly registered in context of Pakistan, too, with a negative impact on the enterprise and business environment.

This was highlighted at the `Master trainers' training workshop’ jointly organized by the Employers Federation of Pakistan and the ILO.

The ILO director for Pakistan, Donglin Li, speaking on the occasion said two-thirds of the people living with HIV/AIDS were in the labour force, and another 25 per cent were otherwise economically productive.

“The loss of productive capacity and skills is an issue of the highest priority and concern to the social partners,” the ILO man said.

He said he hoped that the exercise would help employers to realize importance of early prevention campaign in combating the spread of HIV/AIDS at their respective workplaces.

Mr Li also said that the spread of HIV/AIDS had been helped by the culture of silence imposed by the stigma against people living with HIV/AIDS coupled with reluctance to discuss issues as drug use and other practices.

According to him, the ILO followed a holistic approach in addressing the issue of HIV/AIDS at the world of work.—APP