Tata Iron and Steel Company (Tisco) and six other global companies have committed to use their corporate infrastructure to expand community HIV/AIDS programmes. The other companies are AngloAmerican, Chevron Texaco, DaimlerChrysler, Eskom, Heineken and Lafarge. 

It will involve using their facilities, employees and other infrastructure to expand workplace HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programmes into communities where they operate. The corporate contribution is intended to advance countrywide approaches to fighting the disease by reducing the start up and running costs of public programmes. 

The co-investment approach will increase business engagement and sharing, thereby reducing programme costs and maximising near-term absorption capacity, which is important for achieving the global target of putting 3 million people on anti-retroviral therapy by 2005 (“3 by 5”), for which WHO and UNAIDS are committed, according to the Global Business Coalition on HIV/ AIDS and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. It’s significant considering that the infrastructure costs can account for almost 40 per cent of the financial resources required to scale up national AIDS treatment programmes as was found in Botswana. 

And Tisco is well placed to deliver on its commitment. It has already an extensive programme in place, which was singled out for mention in recently released HIV/AIDS and Development in South Asia 2003. The United Nations Development Programme report highlighted that the company has not only developed and implemented HIV/AIDS related programmes by undertaking counselling and medical guidance for workers, but has qlso gone on to develop an outreach programme to cater to the needs of migrant labour, truckers and army and police personnel. 

The activities are documented in detail in Enterprises & HIV/AIDS in India. According to the International Labour Organization publication, TISCO’s Centre for Family Welfare, which runs 27 clinics and reaches a population of nearly 2 lakh in Jamshedpur, conducts HIV/AIDS awareness activities regularly. Tata Steel Rural Development Society spreads awareness on the disease through not only mobile units, video vans and Mahila Mandals, but also through outreach workers and per educators. Tata Steel Tribal and Harijan Welfare Cell carries out awareness programmes among tribal communities. Tata Steel Education Department runs awareness programmes in all Tata Steel Schools, private schools and colleges in Jamshedpur. AIDS Cell at Tata Main Hospital not only conducts awareness programmes, but also training of trainers. All referred HIV/AIDS patients and their family members are offered counselling here. Tata Main Hospital offers treatment to all HIV positive patients, including those referred by other medical institutions. All these activities are coordinated by Nodal Centre-AIDS, Tata Steel. In fact, the company has also an HIV/AIDS workplace policy in place to ensure protection and promotion of human rights and non-discrimination towards HIV positives. Little wonder, the company is seen as a role model. Says Shefali Chaturvedi, deputy director, Confederation of Indian Industry, who is working on AIDS related issues: “We would like others to follow their example.” 

In fact, for Tisco, the commitment is only the next step in its fight against HIV/AIDS. Saying that they have been spreading awareness for more than 10 years, Shakti Sharma, head, Social Services and Family Welfare Initiatives, Tisco, adds: “After a point of time you need to take the next step. The world over it’s done cautiously because it involves providing treatment, which entails huge costs.” 

They may not have to worry too much regarding additional financial investment, though. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is encouraging its country coordinating mechanisms to work with these companies to develop concrete proposals to secure funding from it in the upcoming round to be launched in January 2004. 

“One only hopes it will set a trend with more companies coming forward to join the initiative,” says Bobby John, director, Massive Effort India, an international NGO involved in mobilising society against AIDS, TB and malaria.