The transport sector is especiallyvulnerable to HIV/AIDS. Transport workers including longdistance truck drivers, seafarers, airline crews andinfrastructure construction workers spend long periods oftime away from home, often endure harsh working conditions,and may engage in unsafe behavior that can lead toinfection. Their mobility makes it difficult to accesshealth information and treatment, or to maintain drugregimen. Transport hubs and construction sites are oftenconsidered hot spots due to the influx and interaction thattake place among the mobile workers. Furthermore, the sectorworks as a vector for HIV spread as the opening of new roadsconnects low and high prevalence areas. The World Banktransport group has been proactively mainstreaming HIVresponse by assisting client governments to design andimplement sector-level interventions. Programs are mostdeveloped in the highest prevalence areas, initially inSub-Sahara Africa and now also in Asia. Support to thesector includes organizing training events to increase staffawareness and knowledge, providing access to researchmaterials, and securing funds to develop or scale upintervention programs. To institutionalize the response,explicit provisions for HIV prevention have been embedded inthe standard bidding document. The group also collaborateswith local workers organizations with the help ofInternational Transport Workers Federation and theInternational Labor Organization. Some lessons learned are:(i) strategies must be crafted to meet the specific needs ofthe country in accordance with the local culture and uniqueepidemic situations; (ii) coordination with the healthsector and the national AIDS authority is necessary foreffective program design; and (iii) involving stakeholdersfrom local communities is key to program success.
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