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

Key lesson: Knowledge-based, targeted responses
* Business description:
Chevron Nigeria Limited is the local operating company of Chevron Corporation, one of the largest integrated petroleum
companies in the world. Chevron has been operating in Nigeria since 1961 and in 1999 they were producing around
420,000 barrels of oil per day. The company makes an explicit commitment to contribute to the well-being of the
communities where it operates by providing jobs, training opportunities and economic development.

* Number of employees:
* Contact:
0 Tel:
* Fax:
* Email:

2,600 (1,600 direct, 1,000 contractors)
Dr Bode-Law Faleyimu
Staff Obstetrician/Gynecologist
Chevron Nigeria Limited
2 Chevron Drive
Lekki Peninsula
PMB 12825, Lagos
Nigeria
[phone] (ext. 2224)
[phone]
[email protected]

1. Motivation for action
In 1997, Chevron Nigeria sought to address the problem of
HIV/AIDS as a result of a number of diverse motivational
factors, including: a recognition of the enormous impact
that HIV/AIDS has on business and its workforce; surveys
that revealed high levels of ignorance and misconceptions
about the disease; the presence of sexual networking at oil
locations; high levels of sexually transmitted diseases
detected in some of the company's health clinics; an
understanding of the high level of risk amongst a mobile
workforce; and documented advantages of workplace-based
HIV/AIDS prevention programmes.
Principally, the company recognised the primacy of
education as a mechanism to prevent the spread of
HIV/AIDS amongst its workforce. In addition, with an
acknowledgment of the lack of information available within
local communities, combined with the company's
commitment to assist the local communities in which they
operate, they sought to extend their response beyond the
workplace.
2. Business response to HIV/AIDS
From 1997 onwards, Chevron Nigeria has engaged in a
range of HIV/AIDS education activities as part of the
Chevron Workplace AIDS Prevention Program (CWAPP).

Having undertaken research, the company recognised they
needed targeted and tailored HIV/AIDS activities to meet
the requirements of different groups amongst the
companies employees (particularly field-based workers),
local communities and commercial sex workers. In
addition, there has been a particular emphasis on youth
education through the Chevron Adolescent Reproductive
Health Programme (CHARP), with a wide variety of HIV/AIDS
workshops and campaigns, including youth health clubs
and a yearly Youth Festival of Life. In January 2000, they
held a workshop to gain feedback from the youths involved
in the education programmes in order to assess the
effectiveness of the HIV/AIDS activities and to share best
practice.
Workplace awareness and prevention campaigns have
focused on different types of employees, ranging from
workshops for administrative office employees to
construction workers, management staff and field-based oil
workers. They have also engaged with labour unions to
identify and map out union leaders' roles in workplace
intervention and in support of management efforts.
Community outreach programmes have mainly involved
extending HIV/AIDS education workshops to include the
local community and increasing safer sex practices amongst
commercial sex workers.

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

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