The Zambian government's Ministry of Communication and Transport
(MCT) is today launching its new HIV and AIDS policy for the
transport sector in Zambia.

Following more than two years of extensive collaboration with
IOM through its regional Partnership on HIV and Mobility in
Southern Africa Programme (PHAMSA), the National AIDS Council
(NAC), and partners from the public and private sectors, the new
policy aims to provide guidelines and strategic direction for the
coordination, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all
workplace programmes in the transport and related sectors,
according to Professor Geoffrey Lungwangwa, Minister of
Communications and Transport.

With a national HIV prevalence rate of 15.2 per cent among
people aged 15-49 years, the Zambian government has highlighted
mobility as one of the six key drivers of the HIV epidemic in the
country and in response, has established a national campaign to
initiate, revitalise and scale-up innovative HIV prevention
programmes for mobile populations.

The HIV and AIDS Policy for the transport sector is designed to
help meet this goal, as well as to assist the government in
reaching its Millenium Development Goal of arresting and continuing
to reverse the spread of HIV in the country by 2015.

The new policy targets people who are employed in building,
maintaining and operating transportation and related
infrastructures, including railways, roads, airlines and maritime
services.

"This policy is a great achievement for the Zambian government
and is expected to have a significant positive impact on the lives
of migrants, both in Zambia and beyond," said IOM Chief of Mission
in Lusaka, Dr. Andrew Choga.

For further information, please contact:

Katy Barwise

IOM Zambia

Tel: +260 211 2540 55

E-mail: "mailto:kbarwise@iom.int">kbarwise@iom.int