Mobile Workers and HIV

Globalisation is characterised by commercialism, deregulation of labour and the weakening role of the individual government. Flush of cheaper labour from underdeveloped areas to the developed areas is the modern trend everywhere in responding to the economic globalisation as an imperative action of individual survival. Immigrants into new societies face social, economic and psychological problems. Young migrants, particular young women are most vulnerable. Labour mobility raises two issues: who should bear the responsibility of educating the floating population, and how they could be empowered to have the health right. The appropriate time, place and material appear to be the main difficulties in educating these young migrants. The involvement of management staff of the employing companies is also critical to creating a supporting environment and leadership in mobilising more people to participate. The institutional encouragement in facing correctly the HIV education could fundamentally alter the attitude of the people, people could openly discuss the issue, and active measures so be taken. However for those unemployed and without any formal affiliation to any institutions, the role of government and partnership with other groups such as NGOs etc. should be addressed, given that there is a lack of basic social security system in place to protect the new immigrants. The global trend to commercialise health care and thus jeopardising the limited health rights of mobile workers needs to be addressed at the international level so that health is used as a tool to regulate migration and health rights itself has to be redefined with respects to the co modification and commercialisation of globalisation. Such nomination of issue has to face the political reality and political willingness of current world leaders and survive the private interest of profitability of economic globalisation which could/does dilute the effort to combat the HIV infection.