The Business Response to HIV/AIDS: Impact and lesson learned

WOKPAC R SONE:Tol0fr anges (onined

POLICY
The Principles and the impact Table 2 on the previous page
highlight some of the available workplace policy options
and demands. Primarily, it is essential to identify priorities
from the outset.
1. The range of options available and demanded may
initially exceed what is logistically and financially
feasible. To ensure commitment from senior levels
within the company, it may be necessary for a
preliminary focus on elements that are directly
recognisable as impacts on the company's bottom-line
e.g. increasing prevalence of HIV/AIDS amongst
the workforce.
2. It is important to aim to create a standard policy and
approach for the whole company, making reasonable
allowances for local socio-cultural and legislative factors
and the involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS.
Consideration should be paid to the involvement of
experienced and specialised organisations and business
coalitions on HIV/AIDS to reduce the scoping period and
programme costs (e.g. sharing of materials).
Education and prevention is invariably the starting point
of workplace policies and programmes. A phased strategy
can be identified:
1. Minimise: communicate policy, provide user-friendly
(e.g. appropriate languages) and culturally appropriate
educational materials and activities for the prevention
of HIV/AIDS and the creation of a non-discriminatory
environment, ensuring confidentiality.
2. Manage: besides the standard managerial practices in
line with the guiding principles above, it is important to
ensure continued internal communication to all
stakeholders of the need for a company policy and
programmes. This is to ensure continued buy-in to the
response to HIV/AIDS.
3. Monitor: the dynamic nature of HIV/AIDS in terms of
knowledge, impact and recognised practices necessitates
regular monitoring and reviews of programmes and
medical data.
A more strategic and successful response to HIV/AIDS could
include the provision of the other benefits identified in the
impact figure above. Further consideration should be paid
to engaging in community outreach, providing advocacy,
information, education, prevention and care.

CONTACTS/ASSISTANCE
(telephone, email, website)
1. Workplace programme advice and guidance:
* AIDS Control and Prevention Project;
[phone]
[email protected]
http://www.fhi.org/en/aids/aidscap/aidscap
* Centre for Disease Control;
[phone]
[email protected]
http://www.brta-Irta.org
* Confederation of Indian Industry;
[phone]
[email protected]
http://www.ciionline.org
" NAT;
[phone], [email protected]
http://www.nat.org.uk
" UNAIDS;
[phone], [email protected]
http://www.unaids.org
2. Workplace programme and policy
experience/materials/action:
* Business Exchange on AIDS and Development;
[phone]
[email protected] k
* European AIDS and Enterprise Network;
[phone]
[email protected] http://eaen.org
" Futures Group International;
[phone]
[email protected]
http://www.tfgi.com/hivaids.asp
" Global Business Council on HIV/AIDS;
[phone]
[email protected]
http://www.gbcaids.com
* National Business Coalitions on HIV/AIDS;
contact the Global Business Council on
HIV/AIDS.
3. HIV/AIDS internet information/discussion sites:
* HIV-impact; http://www.edc.org/glgl/HIV-impact
* HIV-net; http://www.hivnet.ch
* International AIDS and Economic Network;
http://www.iaen.org

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