[Ip-health] Crossing borders to fight HIV/AIDS

[Kirsten Myhr]

A just published report:' Crossing borders to fight HIV/AIDS. The Role of
South African Multinationals in the Private Sector response in Botswana'
compares what South African multinationals are doing on HIV/AIDS with what
they are doing in their subsidiaries in Botswana, and with what Botswana
national companies are doing.

The study has been financed by Norwegian Aid and was carried out by Fafo
South Africa (www.fafo.no/johannes.htm) and the Botswana National
Productivity Centre (BNPC, www.bnpc.bw).

Key finding:
'There is a long way to go before any of the companies we studied approach
compliance with the SADC Code on HIV/AIDS and employment and by extension
the various national codes that apply to them in both countries'.

The report can be found at
www.fafo.no/pub/rapp/426
The full report is about 134 pages, but list of content and executive
summary come to only about 20 pages. In the executive summary the double
standards are clearly documented.

Kirsten Myhr, MScPharm, MPH
Head, RELIS Ost Drug Information Centre
Ulleval University Hospital
0407 OSLO, Norway