Doing Business in Botswana? Job 1: Get an AIDS Policy

Before George Gailey's construction firm could put one shovel into the ground to construct bungalows for mineworkers in a Botswana diamond mine, it had to have in place an HIV/AIDS program for his 168 workers. In a country where more than one-third of the people are believed to be HIV-positive, mine owner Debswana -- a joint venture between Botswana's government and diamond giant DeBeers -- requires that all of its contractors and suppliers have such programs.

Indeed, there is a growing movement by Botswana's small and midsized companies, who employ more than 77,000 in a nation of 1.7 million people, to tackle AIDS. "In Botswana, as in many societies, you see the private sector leading the way," said Brad Ryder of the Botswana-based African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnership.

The impetus began in 2000 when Debswana began requiring that contractors have AIDS policies as part of its expanding anti-AIDS effort. ACHAP -- an alliance between the government, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Merck & Co. -- recently gave $400,000 to jump-start the business AIDS movement. ACHAP Program Director Donald de Korte said that although it is a good idea to require businesses to have an AIDS policy in place, they often do not have the resources to fund them.

"Small businesses have small resources... and may feel discriminated against [by Debswana]," said de Korte. "We are currently developing [AIDS program] toolkits for these businesses." The toolkits include diagnosis, free drugs, and counseling.

For its part, Gailey's company has, among other things, condom dispensers in restrooms, a full-time AIDS coordinator, regular HIV/AIDS seminars, and nondiscrimination policies. Debswana does monthly audits of the policy and requires Gailey's attendance at weekly meetings where AIDS is often discussed.

Yet, much remains to be done to combat stigma and long-held beliefs. Some local men, for example, think if they do not have sex regularly, their blood will harden and they will die.

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