More than 100 business, civil society and government health representatives from China and abroad, gathered at the Kerry Center in Beijing last week for an HIV/AIDS workshop to exchange ideas about the role of business in dealing with HIV/AIDS in China.

In introducing the conference, Howard Klee from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) remarked, "This conference on HIV/AIDS is an important part of the WBCSD's larger program on health systems and the role of business in society. Business does have a role to play in addressing a number of social issues, but business alone cannot solve these problems. In the case of HIV/AIDS, the connections between this deadly disease and having a productive workforce and vibrant local market are quite clear. Business has the ability to influence their employees' behavior through education, as well as through the design of benefit, insurance, safety and wellness programs."

They participated in a workshop organized by WBCSD, the China Business Council for Sustainable Development (CBCSD), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in China and the Global Business/Coalition on HIV/AIDS in China (GBC China). Participants included representatives from Chinese and foreign businesses, the Chinese government, local and international NGOs, and United Nations organizations.

Participants discussed the role of the private sector in dealing with the deadly epidemic, designing appropriate personnel and workplace policies, including educating employees on discrimination of workers living with the disease.

The executives presented and shared best practical experiences of ways in which companies are doing their part to stop the epidemic, and hoping to inspire other companies to join the national campaign on HIV/AIDS prevention and control.

This workshop is an effort to bring that work down to a very practical level, and provide businesses with resources they will need to address the problem in the workplace and local communities where they operate.

On behalf of the United Nations Theme Group on HIV/AIDS in China, Constance Thomas, Director of the International Labour Organization for China and Mongolia, illustrated a number of ways in which employers could contribute to HIV/AIDS prevention and control in China.

The workplace is an important and ideal setting where reliable information on HIV/AIDS prevention can be disseminated to the working people, especially to those who may be engaging in behavior that puts them at risk of becoming infected by HIV, Thomas said.

HIV/AIDS is not only a public health issue but also a social and development issue as China already has over half a million estimated HIV/AIDS cases according to the latest estimation by the Ministry of Health, UNAIDS and WHO. Based on experience in other countries, it is now recognized as best practice to make a proactive attack on the epidemic in its early stages, rather than waiting until a later stage when control becomes more difficult and costly.

Giving an example of using the workplace to reach rural migrant workers and local communities where the companies are located, Edmund Settle, Programme Specialist on HIV/AIDS for the United Nations Development Programme, added, "There is an urgent need to strengthen the general population's knowledge and understanding of HIV/AIDS, and the private sector is in a perfect position to facilitate efficient and sustained distribution of HIV/AIDS education and awareness messages among employees and their families."

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), a co-sponsor of UNAIDS and member of the Theme Group on HIV/AIDS in China, works with the private sector to develop partnerships, mobilize resources and use their individual market advantage to become fully engaged with HIV/AIDS in the workplace and support prevention and awareness activities in communities.

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