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HIV awareness in the workplace

While the role played by the government and non-governmental organisations in creating public awareness and bringing HIV/AIDS under control is well known, the corporate sector’s role in the battle has not been quite encouraging. Though hundreds of corporates have in place programmes to educate and disseminate information among employees and even take the initiative to reach out to the people outside, the need for a “more active engagement” has been clearl y brought out in a recent report by the World Bank, among others. While commending the efforts taken by the five short-listed companies, the report calls for a scaling up of the HIV/AIDS intervention and treatment practices. The direct and indirect benefits that accrue to companies from such intervention are attractive enough for them to take the issue seriously. Though the Confederation of Indian Industry — the first nodal body to realise the importance of HIV intervention at the workplace and get its members to respond to the challenge in a positive manner — has been fairly effective, a great deal more remains to be done.

Even with medicines becoming freely available and AIDS becoming a chronic treatable condition, stigma and discrimination at the workplace and elsewhere still prevent many from getting themselves tested and treated in time. Workplace intervention based on a top-down model has been tailored to address this critical issue. Companies are becoming more receptive to the idea of workplace intervention as they realise the huge economic burden they will have to bear when their young and middle-aged workers get infected with HIV. Obviously, companies that take early decisive action to spread awareness and treat the infected stand to gain in the long term. Benefiting from the lessons learnt and reaching the message to the people as part of corporate social responsibility is what is really needed. The five companies studied by the World Bank have done this by using unique strategies. “These case studies seek to convince other businesses that taking part in the fight against HIV and AIDS is both within their reach and in their interest,” the report notes. While the Centre, a few State governments, and NGOs have been actively engaged in the battle against HIV/AIDS, the country needs all the other stakeholders as well to chip in. Companies cannot shy away from this responsibility. That the prevalence rate in India is just half of what was originally estimated is no reason for complacency. Instances of the infection striking back in countries where proven prevention strategies were not aggressively pursued should serve as a reminder.

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