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 | India 
India
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 In 2004, UNAIDS statistics estimated that between 2.2 and 7.6 million people in India were HIV positive, the second largest number of infected people in the world after South Africa. India’s rate of infection is officially estimated between 0.4 and 1.3%, but in some areas (e.g. Mumbai) the rate is estimated to be as high as 4%. |
In India, our engagement is a gauge of leadership from IFC and its clients. Our vision is to show that private enterprises can be partners with the government and NGOs to curb the epidemic. Along with other players such as UNAIDS, India’s National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), the International Labor Organization (ILO), the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), and the World Bank, IFC is raising awareness about the crucial role that the private sector can play in India to address HIV/AIDS, a role which is very limited at this time (the number of corporates engaged on HIV/AIDS in India is estimated to be about 70 companies according to the ILO).
IFC Against AIDS is expanding its work in India by providing strategic technical assistance. After evaluating what could be done to bring value to IFC clients and contribute to the national efforts to face the epidemic, IFC Against AIDS launched a program in January 2005 aimed at raising the ability of clients to proactively address HIV/AIDS in three possible areas:
- Workplaces: By raising awareness about HIV/AIDS and promoting prevention across company operations, and by extending education programs throughout their groups and to supply chain partners.
- Company Clinical facilities: By training medical and clinical staff on HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), i.e. modes of transmission, prevention (with a special focus on universal precautions related to HIV infection in clinical settings), basic counseling skills, syndromic management of STIs, opportunistic infections related to HIV and anti-retroviral treatment therapies.
- Their communities: By supporting and scaling-up the awareness and prevention efforts around their operations, particularly among migrant workers and trucking communities with whom companies interact.
- IFC Against AIDS and IFC’s Corporate Citizenship Facility (CCF) are providing financial support to clients of up to 50% of eligible costs for projects, up to a year and a half of engagement.
We consider our current program as a catalyst for participation by larger corporates which are within IFC’s area of influence. Our goal with this program is to have a vast geographic area represented, as well as a wide variety of sectors, to enhance the scope and breadth of lessons learnt.
With the help of NGO partners, IFC Against AIDS is looking into areas of possible extensions of client programs in the formal supply chain of those enterprises (small and medium enterprises). Indeed it is a lot harder for smaller companies to initiate and implement programs (primarily because of motivation and capacity). Ultimately, IFC Against AIDS’s goal is to go beyond the big corporates into those companies, which form a large part of India's economic structure. In this area, we will look to leverage our work with SMEs in Africa to develop a culturally appropriate and effective program in India as well.
For details on the programs IFC Against AIDS is supporting, see projects on right side of this page. |
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