More Companies Are Creating Programs to Help Alleviate Worldwide HIV/AIDS Epidemic,...

More Companies Are Creating Programs to Help Alleviate Worldwide HIV/AIDS
Epidemic, The Conference Board Reports

NEW YORK, April 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Major companies are creating a wide
variety of programs to help employees deal with the global HIV/AIDS epidemic,
according to a report released today by The Conference Board, the global
business research and membership organization.
The report finds that 82 percent of the 134 major firms surveyed have
HIV/AIDS programs aimed at helping employees already suffering from the
disease or at risk of infection. The study is based on a survey of 134 leading
health-benefits and HR executives, as well as in-depth interviews with
directors of company HIV/AIDS programs and attorneys specializing in
disability and HIV/AIDS law. The study builds on a 1997 report on the
corporate response to this dilemma. It also draws on the experiences of
companies whose operations in sub-Saharan Africa and other high-prevalence
regions have put them on the disease's front lines.
More than two-thirds of the surveyed companies have been affected by
HIV/AIDS, with one-fifth of these firms anticipating a growing impact of this
epidemic over the next three years. Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 67
percent of all adults and children suffering from HIV last year. The disease
has yet to peak in most of southern Africa.
Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe/Central Asia are high-risk regions.
Asia accounted for 14.5 percent of global HIV cases in 2007, and a 23.1
percent rise in the rate of the newly infected between 2001 and 2007. Latin
America accounted for 4.8 percent of all cases and a 23.1 percent increase in
new infections. Eastern Europe/Central Asia accounted for 4.8 percent of all
cases, and a 34 percent hike in new infections.
A Worldwide Dilemma
Worldwide, the number of people living with HIV rose from 29 million in
2001 to 33.2 million in 2007. Forty percent of new cases are among individuals
15 to 24, the age at which employees are just entering the workforce and will
require ever greater medical care throughout their working lives. Companies
feel the impact of HIV/AIDS in many ways. Fewer skilled workers and managers,
greater absenteeism and turnover, and higher healthcare and insurance costs
can reduce productivity and increase expenses.
"While there is no cure, medical advances have made it possible for people
with the disease to live longer, achieve better quality of life, and be more
productive, both at home and in the workplace," said Henry Silvert, Research
Associate at The Conference Board and author of the report. "In response to
this new reality, and faced with an expected growth of new infections, more
companies have been stepping up efforts to provide programs that effectively
meet the needs of their employees living with the disease, or the risk of
infection."
In 1997, The Conference Board published its first report on the corporate
response to HIV/AIDS. Ten years later, HIV/AIDS in the Workplace examines the
current state of company programs around the world. The report examines
trends, best practices, benefits and challenges that executives have faced in
their efforts to tackle the HIV/AIDS needs of their employees.
Some key findings:

-- Few firms have totally escaped the impact of HIV/AIDS. Over two-thirds
of respondents' company operations have been affected by HIV/AIDS.
One-fifth expect more impact from HIV/AIDS over the next three years.
-- More than 90 percent of firms plan to maintain or increase their
spending on HIV/AIDS over the coming years. Firms with operations in
high-prevalence sub-Saharan Africa lead in planned spending increases.
-- North America and Western/Central Europe account for 3.9 percent and
2.3 percent of all HIV cases, respectively, and experienced flat rates
of new infections between 2001 and 2007.
-- Regardless of location, respondents identified the following
non-financial concerns as the top motivators for investing in HIV/AIDS
related programs: social responsibility; creating and sustaining an
inclusive environment for all employees; welfare of employees living
with HIV/AIDS.
-- Three-quarters of firms report some type of gain from their programs.
Top gains include increased awareness of the risk factors associated
with HIV/AIDS, decreased fears of becoming infected, increased worker
morale, increased motivation and commitment, and decreased absenteeism.
-- Corporate initiatives vary from education and prevention to counseling
and treatment, depending on company priorities, industry and location.
Companies in sub-Saharan Africa are most likely to offer on-site
treatment.
-- Employee assistance programs were the top overall initiative in both
the 1997 and 2007 surveys. Among companies with HIV/AIDS programs,
education and training programs, resource and referral services, and
HIV/AIDS counseling were the top initiatives.
-- Common hurdles include a lack of funds or personnel, an obstructive
corporate culture that fosters resistance, and difficulty guaranteeing
privacy and freedom from discrimination.
-- Support from top management is vital in encouraging buy-in from across
the organization, along with disciplined follow-through and
accountability.

Source: HIV/AIDS in the Workplace
Research Report No. 1423, The Conference Board

The Conference Board
The Conference Board creates and disseminates knowledge about management
and the marketplace to help businesses strengthen their performance and better
serve society. Working as a global independent membership organization in the
public interest, The Conference Board conducts conferences, makes forecasts
and assesses trends, publishes information and analysis, and brings executives
together to learn from one another. The Conference Board is a not-for-profit
organization and holds 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in the United States. Visit
The Conference Board's website -- www.conference-board.org
SOURCE The Conference Board

Henry Silvert of The Conference Board, +1-212-339-0438,
Henry.silvert@conference-board.org; for a copy of the report,
courter@conference-board.org