IFC is helping businesses in nine countries across sub-Saharan Africa develop strategies to tackle the blight of HIV/AIDS and address other serious health issues. Our work in this area has made a dramatic impact at companies that span a wide range of sectors, including tourism, agriculture, microfinance and mining.
IFC Against AIDS, a major pillar of IFC’s developmental strategy in Africa, works with companies to help prevent HIV infections, and deal with existing infections by establishing workplace and community programs that treat and minimize the spread of the disease.
HIV/AIDS remains a serious threat to lives – and businesses – in sub-Saharan Africa, home to countries with some of the world’s heaviest caseloads of the disease.
To help increase private sector involvement in fighting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and other health threats, IFC offers companies skills, tools and support to develop, implement and manage health and wellness programs.
LONMIN HEALTH STRATEGY
While the program generally works with smaller companies, such as Serena Hotels in Kenya and Bonite Bottlers Ltd in Tanzania, IFC is also working with large South African platinum miner Lonmin.
Since October, 2007, IFC and Lonmin have worked together to develop an HIV/AIDS risk mitigation strategy that benefits the company’s employees, their families, and thousands of people living in communities surrounding the mines where Lonmin works.
One in four of Lonmin’s workforce of 26,000 is HIV positive. In 2007 alone, the world’s third-largest producer of primary platinum lost more than 100 employees to HIV/AIDS-related illnesses. Today, Lonmin is helping treat 1,000 people with anti-retroviral drugs.
Lonmin’s Senior Health Manager, Mel Mentz, said: “The biggest success of the program is its ability to raise awareness and diminish the sitgma of the disease. The value of the partnership with IFC is its help with project support, technical support and advice.”
In just over a year, Lonmin’s workplace program has reached more than 25,000 employees in HIV education and distributed over 430,000 condoms. More employees are being regularly tested for HIV: 70 percent of the workplace was tested for HIV last year, including nearly all managers.
IFC AGAINST AIDS HIGHLIGHTS: |
- Active in nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Angola, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda)
- Health programs supported at 27 companies
- Almost 1,750 peer educators trained
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IFC and Lonmin are also reaching into the wider community surrounding Lonmin’s operations. Lonmin’s community program has logged almost 20,000 home care visits, reaching 433 patients on a regular basis. Many of these previously had no or little access to health care services.
Lonmin’s Community Development Manager of Health, Desiree Monareng, said: “We feel a great sense of accomplishment at how many people we have been able to help. People in these communities now know that they have well-trained Lonmin volunteers they can turn to.”
Aside from the obvious social and personal benefits, waging a strong fight against HIV/AIDS and other health problems also makes good business sense. More and more companies understand that HIV/AIDS increases costs because of absenteeism, labor turnover, and loss of experienced personnel.
According to IFC HIVH/AIDS' Noleen Dube: “In most cases companies are willing to do something about mitigating the risk of HIV/AIDS and other health burdens, but are not sure of how to do it. This is where IFC Against AIDS adds value, by being the catalyst for action in partnership with the clients."
For More Information Contact:
Kimberlee Brown
Communications Consultant
Johannesburg, South Africa
Tel: +27 (0)11 731 3175
Email: Kbrown@ifc.org
