AIDS has had a major impact on the transport sector in Africa. In the past many truckers have contracted or transmitted HIV during their long and lonely drives across the continent. The North Star Foundation, founded by WFP and global logistics provider TNT, is working to reduce the impact of AIDS on this crucial sector.
North Star, a non profit organization, is building a network of drop-in health clinics, or Wellness Centres, at border crossings, ports and truck stops along transport corridors in Africa to help strengthen and expand the AIDS response provided by national health systems. Sex workers, border officials, dock workers, police and transport communities are included in North Star’s efforts to create healthy highways.
The North Star Foundation was established in 2006 by WFP and the global logistics and mail provider TNT in order to promote the health and well-being of mobile transport workers across Africa. Since then, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and ORTEC, a major systems development company, have also joined as core partners.
