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

Key lesson: Monitoring and sharing experience
* Business description: developed and implemented the education,
Eskom is a state-owned power utility company of South Africa operating prevention and care programmes. A HIV/AIDS
since 1923. It is one the world's largest electricity utilities, running 20 cost centre was created in 1996 to monitor
power stations and maintaining over 26,000 kms of transmission lines, education, awareness and care costs. In 1999
The employment structure of Eskom includes 85 percent males, 68 costs amounted to R125 per employee (circa.
percent between the ages 30-49, and 69 percent in low-grade positions. $US 19), including treatment of opportunistic

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

33,500
Liz Thebe
EAP Consultant, Eskom
Megawatt Park, Maxwell Drive Sandton
PO Box 1091
2000 Johannesburg
South Africa
[phone]
[phone]
[email protected]

intections, with a similar budget in place tor
2000. Over the years Eskom have developed
an extensive range of responses to HIV/AIDS
within and beyond the workplace:
* Education and Prevention Programmes:
These programmes have focused on
attempting to provide employees at all levels
with peer-led HIV/AIDS education, currently
having covered over 75 percent of employees.
Eskom have observed that employees are
much more accepting of information provided

1. Motivation for action
Eskom initiated a HIV/AIDS policy as far back as 1988,
covering education, surveillance and counselling. By the
early 1990s Eskom began to recognise that the policy was
neither comprehensive nor coordinated and by 1993 they
had discontinued the pre-employment testing policy,
acknowledging its discriminatory and irrational nature (an
initial HIV-negative test result does not mean that a person
will not acquire the virus later on). In 1995 Eskom became
aware of the real threat of HIV/AIDS to both the company
and what it defines as its biggest asset, its workforce. This
was set in the context of an epidemic that had begun in the
early 1980s in South Africa and where the high incidence of
HIV was showing tangible effects through AIDS associated
illness. As a result of this initial awareness, Eskom
commissioned an impact analysis of HIV/AIDS on the
company. The projections, a 26 percent HIV prevalence rate
amongst the workforce by 2005, motivated Eskom to
declare HIV/AIDS to be a strategic priority.
2. Business response to HIV/AIDS
Eskom formed both a strategic committee and an
operational committee to address HIV/AIDS. The strategic
committee looked at the impact of HIV/AIDS on the
company and employees and developed response strategies
to cope with the impact. The operational committee

by trusted and respected peers (employees
and local community members) as they are seen to have
a greater understanding of the working and social
environments. Eskom have adapted their programmes
through experience, improving the skills of peer
educators, coordinators and counsellors (providing
support for employees living with HIV/AIDS) and
incorporating HIV/AIDS focused campaigns into other
company training and induction programmes. In
addition they have distributed condoms to the workforce
and have installed condom dispensers in most of the
toilet facilities in their operations.
Other initiatives have sought to extend education on
HIV/AIDS into the wider community through radio and
television talk shows, press articles and HIV/AIDS events for
the public (distributing t-shirts with Eskom's pledge for
partnership against HIV/AIDS, paying for the transport of
school children to attend, inviting local and national
government leaders to present speeches). In addition,
Eskom provides funding for various NGOs involved in
HIV/AIDS education and care and have committed R30
million (circa. $US4.5 million) between 1999-2001 for
vaccine research.
* Monitoring of Knowledge and Impacts: Eskom's
experience has shown that quality information is

n
C

r

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

61