BUSINESSES SUPPORT US PRESIDENTÂ’S GLOBAL HIV/AIDS PLAN, CALL FOR URGENT ACTION BY PRIVATE SECTOR
· June 11th - Day of action in Washington DC with top US lawmakers to demonstrate positive role business can play Significant shift in business attitudes, but the private sector must do more
(PRWEB) June 12, 2003
Washington DC, 11 June 2003. Over 110 top international business leaders are meeting US policy makers today to promote greater collaboration to fight the AIDS epidemic and to persuade more businesses to join the fight. The Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GBC) is the worldÂ’s leading business organization committed to tackling HIV/AIDS - the worst public health crisis in over 600 years. The GBC is holding;
· a congressional briefing hosted by Senators Frist and Biden,
· a strategy meeting of CEOs hosted by US Health and Human Services Secretary, Tommy Thompson, who is also the Chairman of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria; and
· The 2003 Awards for Business Excellence dinner at the Kennedy Center, at which Colin Powell, US Secretary of State will give the keynote presentation.
Juergen E. Schrempp, Chairman of the Board of Management of DaimlerChrysler AG and Chairman of the GBC said, "The PresidentÂ’s Initiative is the most important step in the war on HIV/AIDS. I pledge the support of DaimlerChrysler and the entire GBC for this leadership by the President and Congress. Today GBC members demonstrate our dedication to join the fight as well. I passionately believe that AIDS is the responsibility of every business, and that we must all adhere to strong corporate responsibility. BusinessÂ’ responsibility is to support, not replace government leadership. Through prevention, care and treatment of our workers, we can take practical measures to ensure that the PresidentÂ’s Initiative is a success".
HIV/AIDS is the greatest threat of our generation: There is no cure, and over 42 million people globally are currently infected. This figure is estimated to double by the end of the decade.
Richard Holbrooke, President and CEO of the GBC said, "The world is only now waking up to the unparalleled threat AIDS poses to global economic prosperity and security. Bluntly, AIDS is one of the greatest challenges to the national security of the US. Business, particularly, has been slow to respond, and the overall response of business is still woefully inadequate. However, 112 companies have now joined the GBC – a sign of real progress - and together we will now build workplace and community outreach programs to bring the full force of the business sector’s expertise to the epidemic. We will also focus on countries at an emerging epicenter of the epidemic, particularly China, India and Russia".
The 114 GBC members represent over 4 million workers in 178 countries. This still represents a fraction of the business community worldwide - and the CoalitionÂ’s top priority is to expand the number of companies responding to AIDS.
Miles White, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Abbott Laboratories, a member of the GBC, said, "We know that it takes many to make a difference in this fight, and as a business community we have the opportunity to change the course of this disease in developing nations. The pharmaceutical industry has been already engaged in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the developing world by expanding access to treatment, testing, education, and helping to rebuild health care infrastructures. I hope other companies will join our efforts."
Awards for Business Excellence
The GBC is presenting two Awards for Business Excellence at its annual dinner at the Kennedy Center. The Award for Business Excellence in the Workplace goes to Standard Chartered Bank an international commercial bank focused on emerging markets, which is extending its comprehensive prevention and care program, which was first launched in Africa to the entire globe. The Award for Business Excellence in the Community goes to Tata Steel IndiaÂ’s largest private sector steel company, which is continuously broadening its HIV/AIDS community education and awareness programs to educate all levels of Indian society. The GBC Awards were instituted in 1998 to identify and promote company HIV/AIDS programs benefiting workplaces and the wider community.
The Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS
The GBC is a rapidly expanding alliance of over 114 international businesses – with over 4 million employees in 178 countries - dedicated to combating the AIDS epidemic through the business sector’s unique skills and expertise. For more information go the GBC website at www. businessfightsaids. org, the leading global resource of company AIDS programs and hub of information relevant to business concerned about AIDS.
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Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS
Ashley Bommer
Office of Ambassador Holbrooke
Tel: + 1-212-651 6403
Barbara Hofner
Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS
Tel: +1-212-846 5893
Abbott Laboratories
Chris Bona +1-847-938.5494
Melissa Brotz +1-847-935.3456
DaimlerChrysler
Han Tjan +1-212-909 9063 (USA)
Tomas Froehlich +49-711-179 3311 (Germany)
Global Business Coalition
1515 Broadway, 45th Floor
New York, New York 10025
Tel: 212-846 5893
Fax: 212846 1939
Www. businessfightsaids. org