Financial Times Editorial - Business and AIDS

Financial Times Editorial - Business and AIDS
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2006
Published: December 1 2006 02:00 | Last updated: December 1 2006 02:00



On World Aids Day, a quarter of a century after the disease was first identified, the burden of the epidemic continues to deepen and broaden. The private sector needs to get more involved and the public and non-governmental sectors should recognise and harness a greater contribution from business.

With 40m people now living with HIV, over 4m new infections and nearly 3m deaths this year, the impact is greater than ever. And with the fastest growth in infections taking place in the former Soviet world, China and India, the economic and social risks are intensifying. Without the sharp increase in recent years in funding, new medicines and innovative approaches to public health to tackle Aids, the position would be far worse. But much more still needs to be done and the business community should play a growing role.

One issue is to bring in additional resources. Enlightened employers should be committed to workplace programmes to fight discrimination, ideally through written policies. They can lead by example and bring to bear peer pressure on others, including through their supply chains. Transport companies, whose drivers are often a source of transmission in the developing world, are one obvious target.

As part of their corporate social responsibility, companies can play an important part in funding programmes for prevention, support and even, in resource-poor settings, by opening their own clinics to treat others.

As responsible taxpayers and corporate citizens, companies should also lobby governments - donors and recipient countries alike - to direct more resources to health and development.

The Global Fund to Fight Aids, TB and Malaria and other intermediaries channelling resources need to re-examine policies banning in-kind donations. There have been scandals around supplies of out of date or inappropriate drugs, but with suitable safeguards companies should be able to step up non-cash contributions.

But just as important as boosting resources is ensuring that they are best spent. Businesses have a role in pushing for stronger evaluation and reallocation of funding to the most effective programmes. They could also usefully offer secondments and support to strengthen innovative but poorly resourced and inexperienced non-governmental organisations which are increasingly shouldering the burden of tackling Aids prevention.

Aids is also a business opportunity, with the potential for private sector providers to deliver products, healthcare services, insurance and management. Through formal or informal payments, most people in the developing world pay something for healthcare.

Ultimately, the fight against Aids is linked to the battle against poverty and discrimination, which is in turn linked to economic development. Progress on that would be the greatest contribution of all business could make.