South Africa: Unilever Offers HIV Toolkit for Companies

Multinational consumer-goods maker Unilever is reaching out to small companies with a new toolkit designed to help them reduce the effect of HIV/AIDS on their businesses. Unilever worked with the South African Business Coalition on HIV and AIDS to develop the program roll-out guide. Based on Unilever's own internationally acclaimed HIV/AIDS program, the toolkit addresses, among other things, policy and budgetary issues. The toolkit will cost around R1000 (US$150) and will be available in the 16 African countries where Unilever does business. The World Economic Forum (WEF), the Global Business HIV/AIDS Coalition and the International Labor Organization have all endorsed the toolkit.

The "gigantic task" of fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic cannot be the sole responsibility of governments, and Unilever's initiative is proof that the private sector can help greatly, said South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma. "Partnerships between business and governments ... are critical in promoting economic growth and social development. There are always expectations that the business sector should not only seek profits, but should also invest in the social upliftment of the communities in which they do business, as that ensures the sustainability of the business enterprise," Zuma said.

"We face the challenge of changing the mindsets of employers, to stop regarding infected employees as liabilities in terms of higher expenditure on medical aids, loss of working hours and absenteeism when they have to undertake HIV and AIDS treatment or counseling," Zuma noted.

Kate Taylor, global health initiative director at WEF, said businesses must continue to become more involved in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment efforts. "AIDS fundamentally threatens business and society. ... It is really important that every business, no matter how large or small, works to fight HIV," she said.

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