3rd HIV and AIDS IN THE WORKPLACE RESEARCH CONFERENCE Message from Conference Co-Chairpersons

The 3rd HIV and AIDS in the Workplace Research Conference, taking place in Johannesburg in November of this year, is set to be a hallmark event. The Conference, which has already received huge interest from beyond South Africa’s borders, will, for the first time, reflect on the intersection of workplace HIV responses, academic research and surveillance, with a particular focus on strengthening prevention interventions in the fight against HIV and AIDS in Africa and linking prevention research to workplace practice.

With a revitalised sense of determination by Government to meet the National Strategic Plan (NSP) objectives, our political leadership is looking to the business sector to provide support in achieving these targets.

With prevention being a key priority focus area of the NSP, success in preventing new infections is widely accepted as the key to ultimately curbing the impact of HIV and AIDS on South Africa and its people. However, prevention remains a challenge for business, governments and civil society alike because the fundamental structural and social issues, which largely drive the epidemic in developing countries - such as poverty, gender inequality and violence against women - are more difficult to address. Our responses must be cognisant of the often deeply-rooted dynamics and social context of the disease.