Caribbean Business sector has ethical responsibility to address HIV/AIDS - UNAIDS

The Caribbean Business Sector has an ethical responsibility to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic and to ensure that social justice and fundamental human rights principles of non-discrimination, equality and fairness are upheld for all, even within the context of HIV.

It must also "consider the cost of doing nothing" like the cost of the negative impact that the Aids epidemic will have on the future and the financial costs that the business sector will bear due to loss of productivity because of diminished/weakened workforces and the loss of customer base as the epidemic erodes purchasing power.

This is the word from Miriam Maluwa, UNAIDS Country Coordinator, Jamaica, the Bahamas and Cuba.

Miss Maluwa was addressing guests at the launch of the Coca-Cola Company and Coca-Cola Foundation "Teens HIV/AIDS Prevention Project," a joint venture between Coca-Cola, Counterpart International and The ASHE Caribbean Performing Arts Foundation.

The project aims at enhancing HIV awareness and prevention and promoting behaviour change among teens. Coca-Cola Caribbean will execute the project.
The Coca-Cola project, Miss Maluwa said, "is a good example of what can be done by the business sector in support of the fight against the Aids epidemic."

"Coca-Cola is one of the global leaders in the Aids epidemic and a long - standing partner of UNAIDS", Miss Maluwa said.

She added, "Coca-Cola was one of the first companies, as far back as 2001, to develop a full HIV and AIDS health care programme to cover not only its employees, but also their dependents".

Beyond the workplace, Coca-Cola has expanded to the community level with diverse programmes ranging from HIV awareness/social marketing programmes (Kenya, Nigeria), soap operas (in 10 west African countries), condom campaigns (Zimbabwe) and AIDS education books and publications, Ms Maluwa pointed out.

Minister of Health John Junor, who delivered the main address at the launch of the project, hailed it as "an initiative from the private sector and the first of its kind in the Caribbean region."

He hoped, he said, "that Coca-Cola would be a beacon for other private sector companies to follow."

Karen Turner, Mission Director, Jamaica and the Caribbean for USAID, said "it is through partnerships, like these that the battle against AIDS will be won."

Coca-Cola Public Affairs and Communications Manager Caribbean Lisa-Ann Joseph said that "since August 2004, leaders of the Coca-Cola Company have been engaged in an ongoing process to determine the best way to succeed in the 21st century".

She said that "together, they created a vision for sustainable growth for their business manifesto central to which is a commitment to the development of the communities in which they work and live.

"This is an imperative. We must depend on and must contribute to socio- economic development and the conservation of the natural resources around the world". Ms Joseph declared.

Noting that "moral and business imperatives are of equal importance in mobilizing the Coca-Cola system and the resources of Coca-Cola Foundation," Ms Joseph said that it was hoped that "the 6-month pilot project will begin the process towards behavioural change among young people."