H.B. ALLEE 26 TH OCTOBER 2012

 Good morning I greet you in the name of God most gracious, most merciful. Asalaamualikum. Peace be upon you and your families.  Thank you for being here on this auspicious occasion  I humbly stand here on behalf of the KZN BOG.  Special thanks to Brad Mears and Penny Dlamini and their team for where we are today.

 2011 – KZN – review process to establish progress on KZN HAST response.  Followed by planning for PSP.  Here business input was required and SABCOHA participated on behalf of business.

 October 2011 SABCOHA convened a business sector conference on HIV, AIDS, STI, TB and wellness.  The KZN Premier and Senior GOVT officials and business sector leaders deliberated.  Here priority interventions voted upon for the business sector strategic plan.  A board of governors elected.

 Their role to represent business sector at multisectoral structures at district and provincial levels.  Also to play an oversight role in ensuring buy-in and adoption of strategy by KZN businesses.  Hold regular meetings and keep in contact with National body and other provincial BOG’s.  Ensure transference of knowledge including the three zero visions

 This is contained in PSP on HIV and AIDS  ZERO NEW HIV AND TB INFECTIONS.  ZERO NEW INFECTIONS DUE TO VERTICAL TRANSMISSION.  ZERO DEATHS ASSOCIATED WITH HIV AND TB  ZERO DISCRIMINATION ASSOCIATED WITH HIV AND TB.

Our strategy is based on these goals. 1. Prevention of HIV, STIs and TB 2. Sustaining health and wellness 3. Protection of human rights 4. Reducing structural vulnerability 5. Coordinating, monitoring and evaluation. While you look at these do not ever forget the enormous challenges, dynamics, health care infrastructure and numerous perspectives including the impact on the business sector.

 Held in August 2012 in Durban.  New PROV. Strategic plan and reporting tools reviewed.  They produced 10 priority interventions to be promoted in the business sector.  These generated by rating interventions based on priority and probability of implementations'.

 SABCOHA’S CEO- Brad Mears-led the team, made proposals, obtained funding amongst the million things thrust upon him.  Penny Dlamini strategic partnerships manager who is responsible for all stakeholder engagement and process management.  She also wrote the plan with supporting data management to assist companies on implementing company level interventions.  They had many dedicated support staff.

1. Company level interventions – 18 interventions – companies responsible for implementation and reporting. 2. Sectoral level intervention- 5 activities that SABCOHA will take responsibility for leadership and implementation. 3. Multi-sectoral interventions – 3 activities the business sector and SABCOHA committed to participate in.

 KZN has a population of 10,819, 130  5.3 million living in poverty.  General HIV prevalence 15.8%  16,22,870 people living with HIV.  TB incidence 1096 per presently.  SABCOHA is now 10 years old and the response by the world to HIV/AIDS is 30 years old.  The courage and tenacity of the SABCOHA team and the BOG’s under the leadership of Brad Mears is commendable.

 Many of us are feeling fatigued. We have to be pragmatic and continually re-evaluate the impact of our efforts to respond to this scourge.  We all need respite, renewed energy and hope in our youth together with God’s grace.  We can not do this alone.  Together with the KZN Board of Governors I appeal to you to please adopt as many interventions as possible from our strategy and please help save our next generation from whom we have borrowed this earth!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you