GMS Resource Database for HIV Prevention in the Infrastructure Sector

Policies and agreements can affect risk behavior by altering the environment that increases the vulnerability to HIV. Policies are generally circulated through official documents endorsed and approved by the executive powers within a government or organization to legitimize the policy and demonstrate that it is in force. An agreement is an act or document where two or more parties agree to a mutual arrangement.

Governments, development partners, civil society, and the private sector are increasingly addressing the HIV vulnerabilities associated with infrastructure development through policies and agreements that ensure local communities, migrant workers, entertainment workers, and other mobile populations are provided with information and skills necessary for risk reduction, ensuring access to testing, care and treatment and promoting voluntary testing, condom access and relevant communications.

Policy initiatives, such as the 2006 declaration made by six development agencies entitled the "Joint Initiative by Development Agencies for the Infrastructure Sectors to Mitigate the Spread of HIV/AIDS" are important in improving the current program environment. Other regional accomplishments include the "Regional Strategy on Mobility and HIV Vulnerability Reduction in South-East Asia and Southern China" from 2006-2008, and the 2001 "Memorandum of Understanding on Mobility and HIV Vulnerability Reduction" signed by the six countries of the GMS (and renewed in 2004). Various countries in the region have also developed national policies related to HIV, mobility and infrastructure development.