Message by Juan Somavia Director-General of the ILO on the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities - 3 December 2011
On this Day the ILO calls for a concerted effort to expand opportunities for decent and productive work for persons with disabilities as one of the most effective channels of inclusive development.  New global estimates show that the number of disabled persons is higher than previously assumed, making up some one billion or 15 per cent of the world’s population, the largest minority in the world. In the lives of persons with disabilities, stigma, discrimination and neglect all too often mean that they experience poorer health, lower educational achievements, lower employment and labour force participation rates and higher rates of poverty than the rest of the population. (01 December 2011)

Questions and Answers on 10 Years of the ILO Programme on HIV and AIDS and the World of Work
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the ILO’s Programme on HIV/AIDS and the World of Work (ILO/AIDS). On World AIDS Day 2011, ILO Online spoke to the new Director of the ILO/AIDS programme, Mrs. Alice Ouedraogo about progress made in the last 10 years and her hopes for the future. (01 December 2011)

Message by Juan Somavia Director-General of the ILO on the occasion of World AIDS Day - 1 December 2011
“Zero new HIV infections. Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS-related deaths” – the ILO joins its efforts with the UN family and all who are striving to reach the zero goal.  Stigma and discrimination, prejudice and fear are the daily reality of many living with HIV. They loom large in the workplace and in the world of work. In many places AIDS has a devastating impact on the world of work. (28 November 2011)

Message by Juan Somavia for International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
This year’s theme “from poverty to sustainability: people at the centre of inclusive development” is most timely. At a time of crisis, the human cost of inefficient patterns of growth becomes all the more acute and all the more evident. The lot of too many is joblessness or a never ending struggle in the informal economy; hunger and malnutrition; ill health and premature death – a cycle of perpetual disadvantage. Many manage to get by in normal times but are thrown into poverty by just one life crisis. (18 October 2011)

Inequities in health care access in the European region
The objective of providing universal health coverage is high on the agenda of countries in the broader European region, yet vulnerable groups often do not have full access to health services, according to Dr. Xenia Scheil-Adlung, Health Policy Coordinator at the ILO’s Social Security Department. ILO Online spoke to Dr. Scheil-Adlung, who has published a study looking at the situation in the region, which includes the European Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States and Central and Eastern Europe.  (6 October 2011)