Maharashtra to adopt workplace HIV policy

India's western state of Maharashtra is set to introduce a policy aimed at curbing discrimination against HIV-infected workers. It would cover areas such as recruitment, transfers and promotions, and would be applied first in all state government offices. The state would ask private-sector firms to adopt the policy after a few months. There are an estimated 650,000 HIV-infected people living in Maharashtra, India's wealthiest state. The policy, the first for an Indian state, was likely to be announced on1 December to coincide with the World AIDS Day. India recently overtook South Africa as the country with the highest number of people living with HIV - an estimated 5.7 million, according to the United Nations. Although India reported its first case 20 years ago, it has yet to enact a law to prevent discrimination against patients, many of whom face acute stigma and bias, both at home and the workplace. General provisions in the Indian constitution against discrimination only apply to the government, state agencies and the public sector, and not private firms, where much of the hostile treatment of HIV-positive people is reported to occur.