Overview The Ethiopian Business Coalition Against HIV/AIDS (EBCA) Abeje Tesfaye (MA) Programme Manger

Presentation Outline Basic Fact on AIDS Impact of AIDS on Business What EBCA Do EBCA Values and Strategies EBCA Partners EBCA Services and Success Challenges and Lesson Learned Way Forward

Basic Facts Ethiopian Summery Number of people living with the virus –1.3 million People newly infected with HIV in 2005/6 – 128,922 HIV prevalence in Urban – 10.5% in Rural 1.94% Addis Ababa Summery Number of people living with the virus – 207, 270 People infected with HIV in 2005/6 – 20,940 HIV prevalence – 11.72% No of AIDS orphans – 109,130 Service users in Addis Ababa VCT users – 222,645 in 158 sites, PMTCT users – 27,564 in 35 sites ART users – 14,474 in 42 sites

Impact of AIDS on Business

HIV/AIDS and Workplace in Ethiopia Over 1.3 million Ethiopians between the age years in the labour force were estimated to live with HIV/AIDS in 2003 (ILO Esti. ) The ILO estimates suggest that in Ethiopia, the economy lost over US 234 million (7%) annually from because of labour loss Workplace provides the key venue for initiating effective programmes of prevention and care related to HIV/AIDS and protect the skills and experiences losses due to HIV/AIDS.

What EBCA Do EBCA come in to being when local business leaders came together in November of the most powerful local businesses associations signed MOUs with the EBCA. Goal: Protect the business community from the threat of HIV/AIDS in collaboration with partners at all levels. Roles: To provide community leadership, Serve members, Serve businesspeople and vulnerable groups in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

EBCA Values Holistic and comprehensive approach; United approach, where businesspeople at all levels come together; Based on shared knowledge, expertise and best practice; Businesspeople themselves play the leading role in shaping the response; Efficiency in the human and financial resources; Full participation of PLWHA and vulnerable groups; Management understand more about the disease; and Stop discrimination & stigma.

EBCA Strategies The major strategy was HIV/AIDS mainstreaming in businesses through Bringing together businesses and partners with the EBCA, Assessment of HIV/AIDS in the businesses, Information and experience exchange and Technical capacity building for HIV/AIDS program development in companies.

EBCA Partners Members: More than 108 member and collaborating business Companies Funding Partners: World Bank Institute (WBI), Action Aid Ethiopia, Initiative Africa, DKT Ethiopia, UNAIDS, VSO Ethiopia, German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), UNCIEF, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs Implementing partners National HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Office, National Partnership Forum on AIDS, Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, ILO, business associations (e,g, Employers Federation and Chambers of Commerce), community organizations and others. Regional and Global Partners ARCAN, PABC, GBC and etc

EBCA Services EBCA provide and learn from companies experience: Knowledge: Regular information, experience sharing and other events on HIV/AIDS. Support: Trainings and consultations to carryout HIV/AIDS activities for your business. Networks: Connections to HIV/AIDS resources and services in Ethiopia and Africa. Promotion: Opportunities to promote the HIV/AIDS actions of your company

EBCA Successes Mobilized the business sector and increased membership from 12 in 2004 to 62 at the end of Our interventions are guided by an action framework and road map for HIV/AIDS control, which has evolved through local consultations and according to best practice Our HIV/AIDS report card helps businesses to evaluate their HIV/AIDS response, according to targets for workplace program development. Member companies moving from information to service provisions e.g. VCT service, OVC and PLHA care, support tasks, created local referral and networking system to facilitate ART provisions, Going beyond the workplace- Companies extend support PLHA and their families, PLWHA are coming out to teach their colleagues

Cont … EBCA chair the business sub sector in the NPF on AIDS, Trained 262 workers from 41 companies on leadership, resource Mobilization, policy and clinical aspects of AIDS (only in 2006). Managed to take part in the 16th International AIDS Conference in Toronto, Canada and recognized for our leadership commitment. Our 6 HIV/AIDS modules continue to guide on how to initiate and frame workplace HIV/AIDs programmes and activities. EBCA task force continue to deal with capacity need assessment and technical, information and experience sharing related to HIV/AIDS. Promoted best practices and leadership experiences of member companies on a well distributed weekly local business newspaper.

EBCA Challenges Internal-EBCA Limited staffing, funding and material base External-Members Limited capacity to invest on HIV/AIDS High turn over of technical staff Problems of doing what was committed problems of inconsistency the isolation of infected persons Partners- perception problem Absence of ‘strong business sector’ Resource gap Policy loopholes to the business sector

Actions Taken Diversifying the resource base of EBCA and broaden membership and partnership menu to share resources, experiences and technical experts Continuously advocate and work with business mangers, government sector offices and trade union representatives Target technical support at management and trade union levels to ensure the active participation of workers at all levels. Acknowledge, award and disseminate information on best practices, exemplary leadership and organizational responses.

Lessons Learnt With basic support, local businesses can be mobilized to take ownership of their HIV/AIDS response. Identifying local champions helped mobilise community leadership. Workplace events have helped encourage local businesses to do better on HIV/AIDS, and create a sense of ownership to the company and generate demand for EBCA ’ s services. Assessment of HIV/AIDS enabled the companies to understand HIV/AIDS impacts and how to plan for HIV/AIDS, as well as monitor their HIV/AIDS response.

Way Forward Expanding our membership and sources income Existing government policy on HIV/AIDS and NPF Improvement on Ethiopia's post election crisis and return of development partners-funding opportunities Partnership with GTZ will assist to develop EBCA’s capacity and member companies We believe the commitment of business in the fight against HIV/AIDS is a Win-Win game Experience will led us to excellence!!!

Thank you!!!