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In its 2008 report entitled, Business Coalitions Tackling AIDS, the World Economic Forum's Global Health Initiative has cited national business coalitions developed by ARP as "effective platforms for the private sector response to the epidemic". According to Richard Samans, World Economic Forum Managing Director, "The goal of the Global Health Initiative is to facilitate and stimulate greater business engagement in health systems and in the fight against HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria".

Since 2004, ARP and our partner, Constella Futures have worked to join corporate social responsibility and workplace wellness in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Our team has developed a program to establish sustainable business councils, whose mission is to reduce stigma and discrimination related to HIV in the workplace. In return the participating businesses experience an increase in morale, a decrease in absenteeism and operational cost, attract and retain top talent and ensure a healthy workforce. "In a few short years, we have achieved our primary goals in Mexico, Jamaica and most recently Guatemala, which was to create sustainable platforms that would allow the business community to begin to take a leadership role in the fight against HIV", said Abner Mason, ARP Executive Director.

To date, the ARP/Constella team has developed business councils in Mexico (CONAES), Jamaica(JaBCHA), and Guatemala(FUNDEC-VIH). Seed funding to develop all three councils has come from the US Government through USAID's Health Policy Initiative. In addition, Merck, Sharp & Dohme provided seed funding in Jamaica.

"As the first business council on HIV/AIDS in Mexico, we are proud our organization has been recognized by the World Economic Forum and pleased that we are providing companies in Mexico with a way to join the fight against HIV" said CONAES Chairman Luciano Zylberberg of Bristol Myers Squib.

"The Jamaican business community has stepped up and embraced JaBCHA as a valuable tool to reduce HIV/AIDS related stigma in the workplace. We are encouraged to know that our progress is being shared with others around the world" said JaBCHA Chairman Phil Green, CEO of Cable and Wireless.

"FUNDEC-VIH's growth is proof the business community in Guatemala is responding to the need for private sector leadership to fight stigma and discrimination in the workplace" said Francis Bruderer, Executive Director of Palo Blanco.

ARP and Constella Futures are actively engaged in efforts to expand our workplace stigma reduction work to other countries, both in Latin America and the Caribbean, and around the world.

To see the full World Economic Forum report, go to www.weforum.org/globalhealth

CONAES members include: 3M, Abbott Laboratories, Altana Pharma, American Express, AON, Banamex, Bausch & Lomb, BD, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Colgate-Palmolive, DSM, FedEx, Ford, GSK, IBM, Janssen-Cilag, Johnson & Johnson, Lilly, Merck, Sharpe and Dohme, Pepsico, Pfizer, P & G, Schering Plough, Stendhal, Unilever, Wyeth, Xerox, and Maypo.

To learn more about CONAES, go to www.CONAES.com.

JaBCHA members include: Bank of Nova Scotia, Cable & Wireless, Capital & Credit Financial Group, Cari-Med Ltd., Carreras Group, Citigroup, COK Co-operative Credit Union, Grace Kennedy, Guardian Life, Insurance Company of the West Indies, Island Grill, Jamaica Broilers Group, Jamaica National Group of Companies, Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, LASCO, Life of Jamaica, Manpower Maintenance Services, National Commercial Bank Jamaica, Paymaster, Red Stripe Diageo, Restaurant Associates, WalkersWood Caribbean Foods.