About the company
Odebrecht is an engineering and construction company headquartered in Brazil, with extensive operations in Latin America as well as large construction, engineering and mining interests in Angola. With IFC support, Odebrecht earmarked $1 million of an IFC $280 million corporate loan (the loan was designated "Deal of the Year" in the Syndicated Loan category by the Latin Finance magazine in 2002) to efforts related to the fight against AIDS in Angola. In August 2002, IFC and Odebrecht launched an education, prevention, and care program focused on the workforce of the company, but also reaching systematically to its communities throughout the country. The program places special emphasis on women's health and the prevention of HIV transmission from mother to infant.
Click here (PDF) to read a newspaper article on the launch of the program in Angola, dated November 2002, published by the Angolense newspaper.
Methodology
Although a company can take precautions to ensure HIV is not transmitted in the workplace, the bulk of the work lies outside the walls of the company's operations and medical facilities. IFC Against AIDS has found it effective to encourage companies to view potential interventions through four Spheres of Action (PDF) - Operational, Medical, Managerial, and Community. The Odebrecht Action Plan was established with this approach so as to design a program that would ensure ownership over: the five sites, all the functions in the company, and a variety of actors in the community. The company has appointed a program Focal Point, who acts as a technical agent and coordinates the activities of each operation among the company sites in order to ensure consistency in the program implementation.
In 2003, the Global Business Council on HIV/AIDS commended Odebrecht as a part of its Awards for Business Excellence, thus recognizing the company's exemplary contribution to the fight against the disease, both in its workforce and in its surrounding communities. To see the 2003 Awards for Business Excellence - Commended Programs brochure, click here.
The awareness and outreach campaign
In August 2003, one year after the start of the program, a very visible awareness campaign had been developed through a slogan, posters, and booklets. Every employee is informed about HIV, AIDS, and prevention. The workers know that their rights will be protected and that they can safely seek assistance or participate in activities to increase awareness, prevention, and care for themselves and their families. By means of surveys, the company is continuing to monitor employees' knowledge about AIDS and their attitudes and practices.
The senior management, the operational teams and the medical teams of the company have worked together and extended their efforts into the community where Odebrecht operates. The core AIDS team of Odebrecht has participated in several radio programs, some of them recorded, which have been broadcasted on various occasions to approach different themes. The program has also appeared in the Angolan press.
Internally, the program is having an impact by the intensity and consistency of its outreach to employees. The medical teams have already seen a significant decrease in cases of STDs (sexually transmitted diseases). The company estimates that the program has reached about 100,000 people in the country. Employee peer educators have participated in events such as World AIDS Day marches (December 1st), as well as the Carnival parades (see photo). The company has also developed links with municipalities and NGOs active in Angola in the fight against AIDS, for example in the municipality of Cacuaco.
The municipality of Cacuaco example
At the initiative of an employee of Odebrecht, who lives in Cacuaco (a municipality of 600,000 just north of Luanda), a training program for local peer educators was launched in cooperation with the town administration. The municipality organized the recruitment of volunteers, a location, and materials for the training. Odebrecht organized the training sessions which were held on six consecutive Saturdays, for a total of 30 hours. At the end of the class series and an exam, 80 peer educators received their certificate of course completion.
Contractors
Odebrecht has also actively involved in its program employees from contractors and suppliers:
- Panela de Barro (catering and food services)
- Alfa 5 security services
- Urbanova, a construction company
- The police of Viana municipality
Leveraging training opportunities
Odebrecht has a strong leverage over its workers through daily Occupational Health and Safety briefings. The company has extensive procedures for safety at work. Every team on a construction site starts the day with a TDT - "Treinamento Diario do Trabalho" (Daily Work Training). These briefings, which last 10-15 minutes, include reviewing the work of the day, prevention of accidental, prevention procedures, etc. TDTs inlude messages on HIV/AIDS. TDT leaders have all participated in HIV/AIDS training. Integrating such "AIDS talks" in daily work security briefings is a natural and useful way to create a discussion forum on HIV/AIDS.
