Strengthening education and health systems is central to enabling people to participate fully in the economy, and is vital to long-term business growth.  Business Action for Africa welcomes the renewed national and international focus on the need to strengthen African health care systems, particularly in connection with the fight against HIV/AIDS.   Studies and business surveys underline the scale of the impact of HIV / AIDS on individuals, businesses and economies.  We welcome the increased availability of treatment and the leadership shown by the private sector in many countries, especially in the promotion of Voluntary Counselling and Testing and treatment programmes.

The involvement of the business sector is critical in helping to scale up effective responses to the epidemic, especially in countries where the public health sector faces severe resource constraints – but also for the simple reason that the majority of HIV+ individuals work.

First, as employers, businesses can ensure that they have in place appropriate policies to address the prevention, care and treatment needs of their employees and families.

Second, businesses are sharing lessons learned with small, medium and large enterprises in their supplier and customer networks and in communities where they operate, where they can support local initiatives in prevention, education and other areas.

Third, there is also considerable opportunity for business to support and enhance existing public sector programmes through partnerships at the national level to leverage industry infrastructure, expertise and other resources that complement public sector activities.  Whether companies are located in London or Lilongwe, HIV/AIDS is a core business issue, threatening workers, customers and communities.

Business Action for Africa HIV/AIDS Project

A new report on the role of the private sector in tackling the impacts of HIV and AIDS was launched today in London.  The report urges developing country governments and donor agencies to work more closely with the private sector in addressing the impacts of HIV and AIDS, and to find ways of optimising private sector resources.

The report, Business and HIV/AIDS: What have we learnt? highlights the unique role business plays through its responsibility for occupational health programmes for employees, its capacity in health systems and the social investment which it undertakes in the community.  It argues that business should be recognised as an important partner, alongside government, NGOs and donor organisations, in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

 

Business and HIV/AIDS: What have we learnt? is the result of a project initiated and sponsored by Business Action for Africa members SABMiller, Anglo American and Merck Sharp Dohme and delivered under the aegis of the BAA network.  In September 2007 BAA invited three members of the British Parliament (MPs) to South Africa to learn more about how business is responding to the challenges of HIV and AIDS via the workplace and in the communities where they operate.  BAA and the companies involved believe that the South African experience offers important lessons to other countries faced with a growing HIV/AIDS problem, such as China, India and Russia. 

 

The MPs visited workplaces in urban and rural settings, community projects ranging from support networks for people living with HIV and AIDS to youth projects, a company clinic and a hospital.  They met with a wide range of experts and stakeholders and participated in a roundtable discussion with representatives of the international community.

 

Based on what they saw, the MPs came up with a number of policy recommendations on how private sector resources can be optimised, and how more public-private partnership can be encouraged.  These include measures aimed at helping more small and medium-sized enterprises to take action on HIV and AIDS in the workplace, and a suggestion for continued dialogue at inter-parliamentary level with those countries where prevalence rates are on the rise, to share the lessons from South Africa. 

 

The report was presented at a parliamentary briefing on 28 November 2007 where it was very well received.  John Hutton, Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) expressed strong support for the report and its findings and committed his department to considering the recommendations in weeks to come, to identify the areas in which BERR can support their implementation.

 

The office of Andrew Mitchell MP, Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, also issued a statement of support for the “well-informed, insightful and progressive report”.  Of the role of the private sector Mr Mitchell said:

 

“By investing in poor countries, business plays a part in tackling poverty by creating jobs, bringing much-needed capital, and sharing technology. It is clear too that business has a vital role to play in tackling HIV/AIDS: looking after employees is ‘good business’ in both senses of the word. The companies identified in this report should be commended for the lead they have taken.”

 

Copies of the report can be downloaded here.

 

Download the press release.