Protecting health workers: WHO, ILO and UNAIDS actions, instruments and implementation examples

New joint guidelines and international instruments for health worker occupational health were published by the World Health Organization (WHO), International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNAIDS in 2010 and 2011 including a Global framework for national occupational health programmes for health workers, joint WHO-ILO-UNAIDS policy guidelines for improving health worker access to HIV and TB prevention, treatment and care and a new practical tool for improving the work environment: Health WISE based on the ILO Work Improvement in Small Enterprises (WISE) programme.  The session will review the evidence in support of these instruments, describe the policy and programme guidance and discuss their implementation.  Case examples will include countries who have implemented these instruments at the national level with the supported of ICOH members.  Global funding mechanisms that can be used to assist in financing the implementation of national policy and programmes for health worker occupational health will be discussed.