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The Committee notes the information contained in the Government's report in reply to previous comments. It notes once again with regret that half of the texts mentioned as being attached to the report have not been received at the Office. It trusts that the Government will not fail to send these texts shortly.

Article 1, paragraphs 1 and 2, of the Convention, read in conjunction with Article 2(a) and (b). The Committee notes Decree No. 66-352 of 29 December 1966 establishing and organizing a paramedical and socio-medical school called the Jean-Joseph Loukabou School. It expresses once again the hope, however, that the text of Decree No. 91-912bis of 21 December 1991 establishing the particular status of officials of the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs will shortly be sent with the report.

Article 5, paragraphs 2 and 3. The Committee notes Decree No. 82-006 of 7 January 1982 setting out the organization and operation of disciplinary councils and the procedure in these councils. Once again, it hopes that an example of the collective agreement cited in the report will shortly be supplied by the Government.

Article 7. The Committee once again requests the Government to indicate the measures taken or envisaged to improve existing laws and regulations on occupational health and safety by adapting them to the special nature of nursing work and of the environment in which it is carried out. Furthermore, with reference to its general observation of 1990, which was repeated in 1994, the Committee requests the Government to indicate the measures which have been taken or are envisaged, in consultation with the employers' and workers' organizations concerned, to take into account the particular risk of accidental exposure to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among nursing personnel, for example by the arrangement of conditions of work, the confidentiality of test results, recognition that the cause of infection was occupational, etc.

Point V of the report form. The Committee once again requests the Government to supply statistics on the number of nursing personnel in relation to the population, as well as, if possible, data on the number of persons leaving the profession. Please also indicate any difficulties encountered in the implementation of the Convention in practice.