“We cannot deal with AIDS by making moral judgements, or refusing to face unpleasant facts and still less by stigmatizing those who are infected, and making out that it is all their fault. Let us remember that every person who is infected whatever the reason is a fellow human being, with human rights and human needs.  Let no one imagine that we can protect ourselves by building barriers between us and them.  For in the ruthless world of AIDS, there is no us and them.”  Koffi Annan, UNGASS, New York, June 25th 2001

HIV/AIDS has increasingly become a concern within the business setting, as the highest risk of transmission coincides with the productive life years in adult men and women. HIV/AIDS should now be a factor that companies should consider in their planning and operations.

Organizations are rapidly changing to accommodate an expanding market, a growth in diversity among their workforce, and an increasing public consciousness about how businesses should operate. Consequently, employee wellness and health programs are receiving more attention.

HIV/AIDS response and effective management, poses a complex challenge to the global workforce. Areas of impact include the health of employees and their dependents, absenteeism and lower productivity. At the same time, HIV/AIDS underscores the importance of employee rights, nondiscrimination, and confidentiality.

If not addressed at the workplace, HIV/AIDS will have a negative impact on businesses. As an employee becomes sick, the cost of providing health care rises, which consequently increases overall operational costs. Subsequently, death benefits increase, and recruiting/training costs grow as the company tries to replace lost personnel. Finally, overall company is reduced by a lower worker productivity and greater rate of absenteeism.  
Without intervention, HIV/AIDS will also damage businesses in ways that are harder to quantify. One of the epidemic's most damaging features is its impact on personal morale.

HIV/AIDS usually affects people in the workforce (15-49 years). Watching an increasing number of colleagues die prematurely is depressing and difficult. Occasionally, workers are afraid of colleagues who are infected, and the result is an atmosphere of tension, suspicion and discrimination within the workforce Effective HIV/AIDS intervention, reduces the stigma associated with infection, and assures that workers remain productive.

Companies cannot afford to ignore the problem of HIV/AIDS. It is crucial that they create a policy that assists in addressing the problem head-on; Workplace education about the disease; free distribution of condoms; Offering of counseling and testing; and management of sexually transmitted disease (STD) infection, which should be actively controlled. Our policy helps companies set up and coordinate these initiatives.