LONDON, May 22: Four leading companies pledged to do more in the fight against AIDS in Africa on Monday, in a move designed to spur other corporations into action.
The initiatives come on the heels of rock star Bonos „Red‟ scheme, under which companies with global brands – from credit cards to clothing – agree to channel a portion of profits to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Executives and policymakers were attending a Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS meeting at Reuters Group Plc headquarters in London to discuss ways to tackle the pandemic, which has already killed 25 million people.
A key objective is finding new ways to mobilize resources for the Global Fund, which provides life-saving medicines and money for HIV prevention programs to developing countries.
Standard Chartered Plc, which has extensive banking operations in Africa, said it was offering to second staff to help countries manage HIV/AIDS projects more efficiently.
International consultancy Accenture is also providing management expertise, while Nike Foundation and Becton Dickinson Co. are each giving 200.000 US dollar for support programs.
Companies around the world are becoming increasingly concerned about the impact of AIDS, according to a survey in January by the World Economic Forum, which found 46 percent expected it to affect their operations in the next five years.
Kilde: The Push Journal
