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26 Companies of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GBC) Announce Immediate Commitments to Fight AIDS in China
26 Companies of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GBC) Announce Immediate Commitments to Fight AIDS in China
Published 05-17-05
Submitted by GBCHealth
In an effort to fight stigma associated with HIV 26 companies have already established, or have committed to implement, non-discrimination policies for HIV/AIDS for their China-based employees before World AIDS Day on December 1, 2005. The multinational and Chinese companies are: Anglo American, APCO Worldwide, Bayer, BD (Becton Dickinson), Beijing Air Catering Co. Ltd, BP, BMH Instruments Co. Ltd, Gobon Guilin Latex, GlaxoSmithKline, Horizon Research Group, Johnson & Johnson, Lafarge, M.A.C Cosmetics, MSD China, National Basketball Association (NBA), Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, PFT Group, Pfizer Inc., Qingdao Double Butterfly, Rio Tinto, Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies, SOHU.com, Standard Chartered Bank, STAR, TOTAL Group, and Unilever. The British Chamber of Commerce has also pledged to support the non-discrimination policies. The purpose of these policies is to protect employees from discrimination by their employer or other employees.
Trevor Neilson, the executive director of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GBC), explained that businesses have a responsibility to protect employees living with HIV/AIDS and that no person should be unfairly denied employment based on their HIV status. "We challenge all companies, Chinese and foreign, to fight HIV related stigma and discrimination and establish non-discrimination policies in the workplace," he said.
Eight member companies of the GBC are also unveiling a wide variety of additional contributions to the fight against HIV/AIDS:
These commitments follow Vice Premier Wu Yi's call to action at the March 18th Ministry of Health and Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GBC) Joint Summit on Business and AIDS in China. "To prevent and control HIV/AIDS is not only the obligation of the Chinese government, but also the common responsibility of the entire society, including the business sector," the Vice Premier said.
The Joint Summit brought together 450 senior representatives from Chinese and foreign governments, multinational companies and the media to discuss ways the private sector can support the People's Republic of China's national strategy for HIV/AIDS prevention and control. Participants worked through a draft Action Plan for Business and AIDS in China, developed by GBC and its longstanding member company Booz Allen Hamilton. Based on the collaborative input from the Joint Summit, GBC and Booz Allen presented the final Action Plan to Vice Minster of Health Wang Longde in a meeting today.
Vice Minister Wang commended the GBC and participating companies, "The private sector is a vital partner, as businesses bring unique skills and assets to the fight against HIV/AIDS. It is critical to confront this disease from all sectors of society."
Since the Summit, Beijing Air Catering Co. Ltd., China State-Owned Enterprise Investment Co., Horizon Research Group, Morgan Stanley, PFT Group, and Qingdao Double Butterfly have officially joined 200 GBC member companies already committed to the global fight against HIV/AIDS.
GBC is supporting these and other GBC member companies in China with the development and implementation of their HIV/AIDS strategies. A GBC office in Beijing will also be opening in the upcoming months in office space donated by member company SOHU.com.
About the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GBC)
The Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GBC) is the pre-eminent organization leading the business fight against HIV/AIDS. The rapidly-expanding alliance of 200 international companies is dedicated to combating the AIDS epidemic through the business sector's unique skills and expertise. The mission of the GBC is to harness the power of the global business community to end the HIV/AIDS pandemic. For more information, please visit the GBC website at www.businessfightsaids.org, a global resource of company AIDS programs and a hub of information relevant to business concerned about AIDS.
For more information please contact:
Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GBC)
Barbara Holmes (bholmes@businessfightsaids.org)
+1 646 287-3803 (Mobile)
+1 212 698-2120 (New York)
For more information about the GBC's efforts in China, please contact:
Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS China Working Group
William Valentino (WV.ChinaBusinessAidsWorkgroup@gmail.com)
Felicia Pullam (fpullam@apcochina.com) +86-10-6505-5127 ext 221
GBCHealth
GBCHealth
GBCHealth is the preeminent organization focused on business engagement in support of meeting global goals for health. Its vision is health equity and a global business community that contributes its assets, skills, influence and reach to create a healthier world for employees, their families, and communities. GBCHealth works with companies worldwide and with the United Nations, governments, academia, civil society & others. In September 2022, GBCHealth launched future united, a global initiative harnessing the power of the private sector to fight for - and achieve - health equity, tackle the impact of climate change on health, and address antimicrobial resistance and future pandemics.
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