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Research indicates that the South African construction industry has the third highest incidence of HIV/Aids in South Africa. The construction sector has a predominantly migratory labour force, making it a prime contributor to the spread of HIV/Aids. Labour camps are a breeding ground for the spread of HIV/Aids and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), this being compounded by the situation where migrant workers on contract generally avoid or are ignorant of the consequences of casual sexual relationships.

The prevalence of subcontracting, the emergence of many small contractors and the tendency toward labour-only subcontracting increases the complexity of developing an effective HIV/ Aids strategy that targets the full spectrum of those employed in construction. This level of complexity places a special responsibility on clients, the professions and industry leaders. The construction sector has the potential to play an important role in the country’s inter-sectoral approach to coping with the epidemic. The sector also provides entry-level local jobs, which may be crucial to the survival of youth-headed households and extended families in areas hard hit by the epidemic. Construction sites can accordingly provide a convenient location for HIV/Aids programmes to both construction workers and rural communities.

This generic specification makes provision for the following four strategies to be implemented in engineering and construction works contracts:

1. Raising awareness about HIV/ AIDs. - increased understanding about the disease, through dissemination of information and by generating discussion.
2. Ensuring that construction workers have access to condoms.
3. HIV counseling, testing and referral services.
4. Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) diagnosis and treatment.

These strategies are designed to build an HIV resilient workforce as well as communities associated with the workforce. .i.e. communities that are able to draw on its own capacity to prevent further transmission of HIV, minimise the impact of the HIVAIDS epidemic, and talk about HIVAIDS.