[afro-nets] Businesses Failing in Policies to Tackle AIDS Threat

[Claudio Schuftan <claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn>]

Businesses Failing in Policies to Tackle AIDS Threat ­ UN-Backed
Report
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New York, Jan 20 2005 11:00AM

In a critical report on the corporate response to the social and
business threats of HIV/AIDS, a new United Nations-backed report
today lamented that businesses rarely draw up written policies
to tackle the crisis, such as counselling, testing and treat-
ment, until 20 per cent of a country's population is infected.

"As a global community, every level of society needs to be mind-
ful of what they can do to contribute to an effective response
to HIV/AIDS," the Deputy Executive Director of the Joint UN Pro-
gramme on HIV/AIDS (http://www.unaids.org/en/default.asp), Kath-
leen Cravero, said of the report, Business and HIV/AIDS: Commit-
ment and Action.

"We hope more businesses will become proactively involved in is-
sues such as AIDS. We know it is not just socially responsible;
it is also a good investment."

The report was jointly published by UNAIDS, the Global Health
Initiative
(http://www.weforum.org/site/homepublic.nsf/Content/Global+Health+Initiative%5CAbout+the+Global+Health+Initiative)
of the (http://www.weforum.org/) World Economic Forum and the
Harvard School of Public Health after a survey of almost 9,000
business leaders in 104 countries.

"Too few companies are responding proactively to the social and
business threats of HIV/AIDS," GHI Director Kate Taylor
(http://www.weforum.org/site/homepublic.nsf/Content/Too+little%2C+too+late%3A+Businesses+around+the+world+wait+for+rampant+epidemic+before+addressing+HIV%2FAIDS) 
said. "This is true of coun-
tries with very high, and with low but rising, levels of HIV.
Given the potential benefits of putting programmes in place to
address the disease, this is clearly a case of "too little, too
late."

Despite the fact that 14,000 people contract HIV/AIDS every day,
concern among businesses has dropped by 23 per cent in the last
12 months, with most companies ­ 71 per cent ­ having no poli-
cies in place to address the disease. Over 65 per cent of the
business leaders surveyed could not say or estimate the preva-
lence of HIV within their own workforce.

Anglo American, the international mining and natural resources
company, estimates an HIV prevalence rate of 24 per cent in its
130,000-strong southern African workforce. Over the last two
years the company has implemented extensive voluntary counsel-
ling and testing, coupled with antiretroviral (ARV) therapy for
employees progressing to AIDS. Over 90 per cent of the 2,200 em-
ployees who have accessed and remained on treatment are well and
have returned to normal work.

"Our growing experience shows that effective action on HIV/AIDS
is synonymous with good business management and leads to more
profitable and sustainable operations," company Senior Vice-
President Brian Brink said.

"Importantly, companies should encourage all workers to know
their HIV status, making it as routine as monitoring blood pres-
sure or cholesterol. Providing access to treatment is a critical
part of this."

To download the report as Adobe PDF file (59 pp. 1.4 MB!) go to:
http://www.weforum.org/pdf/Initiatives/GHI_Report_2005_Final.pdf