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

Profiles of business
activities in response
to HIV/AIDS
he previous sections in this publication have highlighted the diverse range of business
responses to HIV/AIDS. The Profiles in this section represent a small sample of the
global response. Some of this information was provided through the Global Business
Council on HIV&AIDS Awards for Business Excellence in response to HIV/AIDS. These Profiles
serve as models of good practice that have the potential to be replicated by other businesses,
the public sector and NGOs in response to HIV/AIDS.
Within the Profiles an attempt has been made to identify the origins and motivations for action, the
details of actions, the results and the ingredients of success of each of the responses. This process has
been undertaken with the cooperation of the profiled companies who have kindly provided the
information to assist in identifying how effective responses can be created. Four interrelated areas have
been identified from the Profiles:
1. A role for core business operations: highlighting ways in which a business can undertake initiatives
that draw on their own resources and activities;
2. The importance of information and monitoring: addressing the significance of the need to gain
full knowledge of how best to respond to HIV/AIDS, drawing on information from others and
through continual reassessment of actions;
3. The involvement of small enterprises: identifying the effective and innovative role that small
enterprises can play in the response to the disease;
4. The effectiveness of partnerships: clarifying the central position that partnerships have played in
strengthening the effectiveness and sustainability of responses.
One should note that while this publication has associated individual companies and organisations as
being illustrative of certain key lessons (see Figure 14), most of the examples do employ a much more
holistic and integrated approach to tackling HIV/AIDS in the workplace and communities. For
example, partnership of one kind or another has been key to the success of the project activities of each
of the profiled companies.

THE BUSINESS RESPONSE TO HIV/AIDS: Impact and lessons learned

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