A new report by the International Labour Organisation reveals that the AIDS epidemic is severely damaging economic and employment growth in the countries hardest hit by the disease. This report from Imogen Foulkes:

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The effect is two fold. The economy becomes sluggish, growth drops, there's no energy for initiatives that will create new jobs. At the same time young people, many below working age lose their parents and are forced to work to survive. Often in dangerous and low paid jobs. For girls especially, that can mean the sex industry. Young people now account for half of all new HIV infections, what's more most young people with HIV don't even know they carry the virus.

The ILO report recognises that greater availability of anti-retro viral drugs is having an effect but calls the progress towards universal access woefully delayed. The ILO says the workplace should be used as an entry point for getting people on to anti-retro virals pointing out that without increased access to treatment, by 2020 the overall loss to the global workforce because of AIDS is predicted to reach eighty six million people.

Imogen Foulkes, BBC News, Geneva

Listen to the words

hardest hit
worst affected

declined
decreased, become smaller

workforce
the total number of people in a country or company who can work

is two fold
has two parts

sluggish
slow-moving

are forced to
have no other option except to

account for
make up, are the main factor for

recognises
accepts, admits

woefully
sadly, regrettably

an entry point
the first place where something can happen

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