Big brother approach to HIV/AIDS in business

Big South African businesses with successful workplace HIV/AIDS testing and treatment facilities have teamed up with the World Economic Forum (WEF) in an attempt to offer similar services to smaller firms.

Smaller companies often supply larger concerns with various services and products, but have few if any formal ways of coping with the pandemic, while employing the bulk of workers in Africa's biggest economy, according to company officials.

Penny Mkalipe, head of the Health and Wellness programme at Eskom, the state power utility, told Reuters, "Without our suppliers, we simply wouldn't be able to function."

Carmaker Volkswagen and Unilever, a manufacturer of leading brands in foods, home care and personal care, are two of the three companies working with WEF's Global Health Initiative to expand anti-AIDS care to their suppliers.

This item is delivered to the English Service of the United Nations' Humanitarian Information Unit but, may not necessarily reflect the views of the UN.