Much more than just providing financial support, the business community, with its marketing and organisational skills, can bring a commercial efficiency to the delivery of health promotion messages to targeted audiences, whether they be young people in industrialised countries, or urban workers in emerging markets. In many countries across the world the epidemic is affecting the workforce, markets and overall business climate. At the very least this suggests that companies should be initiating HIV education programmes in the workplace. Glaxo Wellcome's HIV awareness programme, having been piloted in all our units in English speaking countries, is now being rolled out to virtually every single member of our 55,000 strong workforce. We are not unique.
Many companies operate similar employee awareness programmes.
The success of business, however, is dependent on the health of audiences far wide than its employees. Many factors in society can impact on the business climate. Where appropriate, business should participate in public health initiatives with the public and voluntary sectors. Social Investment Initiatives involve the promotion of health education in communities close to company facilities or in target audiences for a particular product. Finally, through philanthropic initiatives , companies provide equipment, financial or technical assistance to charities and other voluntary groups.