Dated: 12 November 2003
The fight against HIV/AIDS infection is everybody’s business. Unfortunately, however, many people still aren’t taking it very seriously, particularly tomorrow’s leaders. Take for example, the shocking experience of some of our bright young University of Technology (UTech) students, who last summer were tested positive for HIV/AIDS.
According to UTech’s President, Dr. Rae Davis, there were "some pretty risky sexual behaviour going on" on at that campus. If this elite group of persons, whom we will be looking to for leadership in the future, is so promiscuous in their sexual behaviour to the point of showing very little regard to the risk of being infected with the HIV/AIDS virus, then what should be expected of the rest of us?
Disproportionate Population
It is even more alarming to know that the Caribbean has the second fastest growing infection rate of HIV/AIDS cases in the World close on the heals of Subsaran Africa. And according to the to UNAIDS, 2002, the 42 million people infected with HIV/AIDS, 95% are living in developing countries, like Jamaica.
It is no longer a secret that the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS affects the population disproportionately, and unlike most other diseases, young and middle-aged adults are at particularly high risk.
However, complementary to major public programmes to fight HIV/AIDS, business initiatives can and must play an important role, particularly since there seems to be a business case for fighting HIV/AIDS.
It makes good business sense for companies to respond to the epidemic because of the direct impact of AIDS on business resulting from increased costs, loss of productivity and overall threats to the foundations of the economies in which they operate.
HIV/AIDS costs for employers
Therefore, I am calling upon the business community to be involved in the discussion and to join with the various agencies to strengthen the fight. One way in which the private sector can help is to sponsor studies, research and the facilitation of general discussion in an effort to ascertain the answers to questions, as follows, and to make more people aware of how serious this disease has gotten:,/p>
What are the direct and indirect HIV/AIDS costs for employers? How to measure the costs of HIV/AIDS within the corporation, taking into account increased sick leave, rising costs of health insurance, funeral costs, as well as recruitment and training of new staff.
How does HIV/AIDS affect market development and the consumer base?
What is the impact of HIV/AIDS on the investment climate?
Why is HIV/AIDS also the business of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs)?
What are the industry-specific factors that increase the risk of getting affected with HIV for employees and what professions are most at risk?
A different set of risks
Concerning the design, implementation and measurement of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment strategies for business, however, companies from different sectors will face a different set of risks, depending on their operations. Sectors that are characterized by professions involving high mobility, or by employees living away from their families are at increasingly high risk.
Additionally, the impact of HIV/ AIDS on SMEs (small-to-medium-size enterprises) and entrepreneurs is potentially extremely damaging. Micro and household studies have so far demonstrated that inexperienced family members are forced to take over businesses, reducing their effectiveness. On average it is about 810 years before an HIV infected person dies, and throughout the different phases the company will also be affected in specific ways.
Gender-specific vulnerabilities
In this regard, attention and awareness need also to be focused on such topics as:
How can employers pro-act to prevent their workers from getting affected?
How can corporations contribute to reduce gender-specific vulnerabilities and risks?
What does it take for business to establish behavioural change with regard to HIV/AIDS?
Since a strong correlation exists between sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and HIV transmission, could the treatment of STD offer an entry point for HIV awareness raising?
Can business work with the existing social and family networks to increase awareness about HIV/AIDS?
And how to measure the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment strategies?
Millennium Development Goals
In the December 2002 UNAIDS report, it was estimated that financial disbursements need to increase significantly to combat AIDS successfully. As a very visible epidemic develops, increased morbidity and mortality is likely to have a severe impact on the long-term economic development in developing countries. And of the US$15 billion a year required approximately seven percent of the total resource need is for workplace prevention. In order to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of halting and reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015, the complementary activities of businesses to fight HIV/AIDS in the work place will be crucial.
Therefore at this time we offer our congratulations, and at the same time encourage companies like Digicel, to continue to support the fight against HIV/AIDS. Victoria Mutual Building Society (VMBS), JMMB, Manufacture Sigma Merchant Bank, Berger Paints and Sherwin Williams were instrumental in the setting up and staging of the Utech HIV/AIDS Awareness Expo 2003 held recently on the grounds of the Old Hope Road campus. Some 7,000 persons, including staff and students were exposed to the various issues concerning this dreaded disease.
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