PHA-Exchange> BUSINESSES FAILING IN POLICIES TO TACKLE AIDS THREAT - UN-BACKED REPORT

[Claudio]

From: "Vern Weitzel" <vern.weitzel at undp.org>

BUSINESSES FAILING IN POLICIES TO TACKLE AIDS THREAT – UN-BACKED REPORT
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 treatment, until 20 per
cent of a country’s
population is infected.

“As a global community, every level of society needs to be mindful of what
they can do to contribute
to an effective response to HIV/AIDS,” the Deputy Executive Director of the
Joint UN Programme on
HIV/AIDS (<"http://www.unaids.org/en/default.asp">UNAIDS), Kathleen Cravero,
said of the report,
Business and HIV/AIDS: Commitment and Action.

“We hope more businesses will become proactively involved in issues 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+Initiati
ve%5CAbout+the+Global+Health+Initiative">GHI)
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+H
IV%2FAIDS">said.
“This is true of countries 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 policies
in place to address the disease. Over 65 per cent of the business leaders
surveyed could not say or
estimate the prevalence 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 counselling and testing, coupled
with antiretroviral
(ARV) therapy for employees progressing to AIDS. Over 90 per cent of the
2,200 employees 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 pressure or cholesterol. Providing access to treatment
is a critical part of this.”