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

Key lesson: Business benefits from care programmes
* Business description: The HIV/AIDS prevention programme in the
Volkswagen do Brasil is a subsidiary company of the Volkswagen Group, workplace used educational presentations
the fourth largest automobile manufacturer in the world. The Brazilian and videos, information dissemination via
company's operations focus on production and sales of automobiles. the company radio, internal newspapers,
With a total of 92,773 units sold between January to March 2000, bulletin boards and HIV/AIDS brochures. In
Volkswagen do Brasil remains the market leader in Brazil. addition, they sought to facilitate the use of

* Number of employees:
* Contact:

30,000
Murilo Alves Moreira
Volkswagen do Brasil
Via Anchieta Km 23,5- Ala 7
CEP:09823-990
Sao Bernardo do Campo/Sao Paulo

condoms though the installation of condom
machines in the workplace.
A principal feature of the care of people
living with HIV/AIDS by the company was the
establishment of a Technical Protocol which
sought to standardise the assistance provided

" Tel:
* Fax:
* Email:

Brazil
[phone]
[phone]
[email protected]

1. Motivation for action
In 1986, the first HIV infection was detected amongst the
105,000 users of the Volkswagen Medical Health Plan,
covering employees, dependents and retired personnel and
employing over 2,000 personnel. Between that period and
1996, the company detected an increasing number of new
infections with a high frequency of long hospitalisations,
high incidence of opportunistic diseases, high cost of
treatments with minimal benefits as a result of low
adherence to treatment, and a resulting low life expectancy.
In addition, the medical personnel lacked the specialised
knowledge to adequately treat people living with HIV/AIDS.
Therefore, Volkswagen do Brasil recognised the need to
address HIV/AIDS care to prevent costs escalating and to
create a more effective and efficient service to its Health
Plan members.
2. Business response to HIV/AIDS
In June 1996, Volkswagen do Brasil initiated the AIDS Care
Programme, centralised in the headquarters at Sao
Bernando do Campo with specialised technical personnel
and incorporated into the overall company health care
structure. The multiple purpose initiative involved focusing
on HIV/AIDS prevention and control and the treatment of
patients living with HIV/AIDS.

within the programme, while allowing a
degree of flexibility to enable assistance to
be provided dependent on individual needs.
The treatment and counselling provided by
the programme includes access to infectious
disease specialists, social workers,
nutritionists, psychologists, referrals to specialised hospitals
and home care treatment. Patients are also given access to
antiretroviral drug treatment and clinical tests such as
measuring viral load. In addition, as part of the company's
non-discrimination policy, assistance is given to personnel
in order to reintegrate them into the workplace and society.
3. Results and lessons
The outcomes identified by Volkswagen do Brasil are both
quantitative and qualitative. By the end of 1999, the
company reported that since the initiation of the care
programme its monitoring systems had shown a 90 percent
reduction in hospitalisations, 40 percent reduction of costs
of treatments and care, and 90 percent of the patients were
active and without symptoms. In addition, the company
notes the benefits of greater clinical control of patients,
improved quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS
within the workplace and in society, and a perceived
increase level of employee satisfaction with the company.
The experience of Volkswagen do Brasil has provided
evidence of the effectiveness and costs savings to
companies initiating, where possible, coordinated and
specialised treatment and care to its workforce. The saving
from reduced absenteeism and loss of employees is central
to this approach.

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

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