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South African Deputy President Jacob Zuma has hailed a new HIV/AIDS initiative by Unilever, the consumer goods multinational, as "a valuable contribution to fighting the pandemic".
Earlier this week Unilever announced plans to make its internationally acclaimed HIV/AIDS programmes and policies available in 16 African countries to help small companies reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS on their business.
Zuma said the initiative was the kind of action the private sector needed to adopt, adding that HIV/AIDS was a "gigantic task" that government could not tackle alone.
A local newspaper, Business Day, quoted the deputy president as saying, "Partnerships between business and governments are critical ... There are always expectations that the business sector should not only seek profits, but should also invest in the social upliftment of the communities in which they do business, as that ensures the sustainability of the business enterprise."
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