Bridging the Gap: Conference Record [Abstract book, International Conference on AIDS (12th: 1998: Geneva, Switzerland)]

980 Abstracts 44220-44224

12th World AIDS Conference

that the most important problem for them was their families' economic status.
73.6% had insufficient income, 34.9% had problem with caring for their children
with HWIAIDS, 20.8% did not in good health. When asked them who could help
them to solve their problem, 38.7% replied that nobody could help them while
21.7% said families members, 14.2% said the government organisations, 6.6%
said non-government organisation and 0.9% said their relatives. They need help
in funding for income generating activities for example pottery and ceramics
(31.1%), handicraft/basket making (55.5%). Furthermore, 69.8% reported that
they had acquired knowledge about caring for PLWHIV/AIDS.
Conclusion: Older adults of which members are suffering from ADS should
immediately be supported because they are affected most economically. They
become the families' major carers and could generate income to maintain their
families' economic status if they were healthy and were supported financially.
645*/ 44220 Sustainability beyond donor aid
Soledad Atayan. 3679 Batute Street Tejeros, Makati City, Philippines
Issue: Sustaining AIDS prevention activities is a primary concern in most resource-poor communities where most project activities are dependent on donor
aid.
Project: DKT International, a non-government organization engaged in population and AIDS prevention activities, joined Sto. Nino Medical Clinic in a medical
mission to a remote community in Sibulan, Negros Oriental, Philippines. This medical mission was supported by the local representative of Squibb-Bristol-Myers
(SBM) Pharmaceutical. The objective of this mission is to a provide well-rounded
medical service, which includes free consultation, treatment and education, to
indigent members of the community. Medical consultation and treatment were
conducted by the St. Nino Clinic, SBM provided for the medicines, while DKT conducted a lecture-discussion on AIDS. Information materials on AIDS like comics
and brochures were given to the patients. Condoms were also distributed during
the activity.
Results: The mission was able to achieve its objective. A total of 108 indigent
members of the community, mostly children between 1 -12 years old, availed
the services of the mission. Although only 18 women and 5 men attended the
lecture-discussion, most of the men and women utilized the comics and brochures
that were given to them. As a non-government organization (NGO) collaborator,
DKT was able to do its task in providing information to the people at a very
minimal cost to the organization.
Lessons Learned: The involvement of the private sector, like in this mission
the Sto. Nino Medical Clinic and SBM, proved to be helpful in sustaining AIDS prevention activities in resources-poor communities. Through proper coordination,
cooperation and collaboration, scarce resources like human resource, supplies,
machines, money and time can be used in its optimum potentials.
651*/44221 A unique Zululand industry joint venture response
to the needs of employees with HIV/AIDS
Jennifer Rogers. Alusaf (PTY) Ltd. PO. Box 897 Richards Bay 3900, South Africa
Issue: In September of 1997 selected clinics in the Lower Umfolozi area were
reporting an ante-natal HIV incidence rate of 27.5%. Certain industries in this
Zululand region were concerned about meeting the needs of HIV-infected employees in a severely resource-constrained area where health care services are
critically over-burdened.
Project: Six local industries with a total of 10 000 employees committed resources totaling R1 million to establish an HIV/AIDS Care Center. The Zululand
Chamber of Business Foundation (ZCBF), and local state-aided ATICC provided
expertise and support.
Ethembeni (Place of Hope) provides culturally-sensitive holistic care of HIVinfected employees, and assistance in the maintaining of family and community
structures. Important potential research links are being explored.
Results: Employees of the participating industries who are HIV-positive or who
have developed full-blown AIDS, have recourse to a comprehensive system of
care from pre-test counselling, through coping skills and care-giver training and
counselling, in-unit terminal care and grief and bereavement counselling.
Lessons Learned: The establishment of the Ethembeni Centre by means of
a unique joint venture is a move towards the expanded response necessary to
meet the challenge and minimise the impact of AIDS in a resource-constrained
area. The provision of services and assistance aimed at keeping HIV+ employees
healthy and productive as long as possible is to the clear benefit of the employee,
the family, the community and industry.
44222 The HIV action initiative: A collaborative model for
catalyzing and coordinating a community response to the
HIV/AIDS epidemic
Laurie Sylla. HIV Action Iniative 400 Sheldon St PO Box 2370 Hartford CT
06146-2370, USA

Issue: In many developed countries HIV/AIDS has primarily affected marginalized populations, making it difficult to enlist mainstream leadership and support.
Many of the solutions required to effectively combat the epidemic require action
and cooperation from different segments of the community, e.g. legislative, public
health, private sector, and non-government organizations.
Project: The HIV Action Initiative is a community coalition of business, religious,
public health and government leaders, health and social service providers, hu
man rights activists, and people living with HIV/AIDS. This community mobilization
model is easily replicable in other settings.
Results: This coalition has identified and mobilized high level mainstream
leaders to work hand in hand with AIDS activists and consumers to generate
resources, develop and implement cutting edge programs, develop standards of
care, alter public policy, raise community awareness, and create strategic plans.
A community-wide climate of cooperation has been established, a forum exists for
identifying and addressing emergent cross-cutting issues, and advocacy efforts
have been enhanced as a result of the credibility of our membership.
Lessons Learned: Involving high level mainstream community leaders enhances the effectiveness of AIDS advocacy efforts. Creating a respectful atmosphere in which open dialogue occurs among people with diverse perspectives
allows consensus to be reached. Bringing together different community elements
leads to the accomplishment of tasks which could not be achieved by any one
sector alone.
1646*/44223 The Global Business Council on HIV/AIDS (GBC)
Ben Plumley1, Jose LLados2, J. Hussey3. 1GlaxoWellcome, PLC, Berkeley
Avenue, Greenford; 3National AIDS Trust, 188-196 Old Street, London, UK;
2UNAIDS, 20 Avenue Appia, Geneva, Switzerland
A global private sector initiative to promote public/NGO/private partnership responses to HIV/AIDS.
Project: The launch of the Global Business Council on HIV/AIDS in Edinburgh
in October 1997, offers both an opportunity and a challenge to business leaders.
Ten international companies have already committed themselves to the GBC,
including all those mentioned in this abstract. The GBC will ultimately be a group
of up to fifteen business leaders characterised by their commitment to HIV/AIDS
causes and their reputations as excellent corporate citizens. The GBC will work
closely with and advise UNAIDS, but it is a business initiative and will function
as an independent body. The GBC's Honorary President is Nelson Mandela,
and its first Chairman Sir Richard Sykes, Chairman and Chief Executive of Glaxo
Wellcome. The GBC also has the support of NGOs including the NAT (UK), FIESP
(Brazil), The World Economic Forum, The Prince of Wales Business Leaders'
Forum (PWBLF), and CII (India).
Results: Council members MTV and London International joined forces to produce a video targeting young people shown worldwide on MTV last World AIDS
Day. Round Table Meetings on the Business Response to AIDS were organised
by UNAIDS with the PWBLF at the Fourth International Conference on Health
Promotion. The South African National Business Council on HIV/AIDS has been
launched with 9 corporate members. The GBC helped to publish reports in 1997
with the Conference Board (surveying over 200 companies in 14 countries) and
the PWBLF (profiling the responses of over 20 companies and making recommendations for future corporate action). Best practice documents for employers
have been developed by UNAIDS with GBC members.
Lessons Learned: Companies' interest in HIV/AIDS extends beyond their
immediate experience. Thanks to the variety of existing successful business initiatives, the GBC can use leadership, networking and discussion to widen that
interest, to learn from companies, and ultimately to help UNAIDS and others
to maximise the benefits to the global fight against AIDS. Examples show private/public sector partnerships do work, extending the company's reach beyond
the workplace and its immediate community.
44224 | European AIDS and enterprise network
Kathryn Kerrigan, Julian Hussey. Bruce Naughton Wade, 59/65 Upper Ground
Enterprise House, London, SE1 9PQ; Nat, New City Cloisters, 188-196 Old St
London EC1V 9FR, UK
Issues: A pan-European Network, the European AIDS and Enterprise Network,
has been formed to actively address the issues surrounding HIV and AIDS in the
workplace, particularly in the light of the life-lengthening treatments now available.
Project and Results: This project, funded by the European Commission and
leading businesses in Europe was conceived over a year ago and was formally
launched in Paris in September 1997. The Anglo-French Steering Committee
has identified and accepted organisations as National Coordination Centres for
the Network in every European country except Spain. They have heralded their
existence with a newsletter which has been distributed to AIDS organisations,
businesses, governments, trade unions and other bodies across Europe. The
Steering Committee and the National Coordination Centres have invited businesses to become subscribing members of the Network, in return for which they
will receive advice and assistance in developing and implementing effective, just
and non-discriminatory workplace policies. The Network is working to identify
examples of leading practice for dissemination to all Network members.
There is a great deal of goodwill towards this sort of initiative in some areas of
the corporate sector and there are some examples of very good practice already
in existence. However, there is still a long way to go before companies right
across Europe have established satisfactory workplace policies and practices.