Kenyan Business Slow in Tackling HIV/AIDS: Study

A PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) survey released Friday showed that Kenyan business are failing to combat HIV/AIDS at the workplace even though they understand how the disease is affecting their bottom line. The survey, "The Business Community Response to HIV/AIDS in Kenya," is a follow-up to a broader study the firm conducted in 2003 involving 216 businesses in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia.

"On average, most companies are not taking any serious action to counter the effects of HIV/AIDS on the business," said Charles Muchene, the country director for PWC. "Serious talk about the impact of HIV/AIDS on businesses is yet to get to the boardroom. The tone at the top is the key to success in addressing HIV/AIDS," Muchene noted.

About 2 million of the roughly 30 million people in Kenya are HIV-infected, according to government officials. Each year, more than 200,000 Kenyans die of the disease.

Corporate leaders interviewed for the survey said they found it difficult to convince their boards to spend more money fighting HIV/AIDS because the boards are more interested in projects that grow revenue. According to experts, HIV/AIDS affects a business' bottom line through declining productivity, high labor costs, absenteeism, declining sales, and loss of skills. Muchene said there are no actual figures that show the real impact the disease has on Kenyan businesses.

Abel Nyagwa, spokesperson for Kenya's National AIDS Control Council, said the business community has shown some improvement since joining government efforts to combat the disease last year. He added that more Kenyan companies now offer antiretroviral treatment to their employees.

Muchene said companies must create more HIV/AIDS awareness; pursue non-discriminatory policies; provide employees with medical support; and cultivate more community support.

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