AIDS workplace programmes vital - VW

The head of Volkswagen (VW) South Africa's health services, Alex Govender, has warned that it is "absolutely essential" for big businesses to become a leading force in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The local Mail and Guardian newspaper quoted him as saying, "If you don't do anything the figures are going to increase; the more it affects the community - you can imagine the impact it will have, and that's where we draw our workforce from." Some companies argued that it was difficult to quantify the cost of AIDS in the workplace, and workers might be reluctant to use workplace anti-AIDS programmes. However, Govender pointed out that VW was making strides, with at least 60 percent of its workforce having already volunteered for HIV tests and 73 individuals in its local workforce now on antiretroviral treatment.