Business Coalitions

A new report shows that Business Coalitions around the world are helping thousands of companies tackle AIDS in the workplace.

The GHI in partnership with UNAIDS, The World Bank and GTZ has released the first global report on how Business Coalitions are supporting the private sector to tackle AIDS around the world.

Business Coalitions have emerged as a highly effective platform for businesses to come together and address the challenges of AIDS. To date, four regional and 47 national Business Coalitions have been formed, and together they have supported thousands of companies in implementing local AIDS workplace programmes. They are a relatively new concept worldwide; over 40% were launched in the last two years and over 60% in the last five.

The report presents the current global landscape of Business Coalition activity, reviewing their different organizational, governance, membership and financial models, outlining best practices and highlighting the key challenges they face as they strive to serve the private sector. The report underlines five points of consideration for existing and emerging coalitions to effectively support businesses in tackling AIDS while ensuring their long-term stability.

 Download full report
 Download executive summary
 Download worldwide directory of business coalitions

This report shows how 27 countries are supporting businesses in addressing HIV/AIDS. At least 20 coalitions exist in sub-Saharan Africa today, with more than 16 having been established in the last 5 years to meet growing demands. The study provides guidance to newly-launched and those soon to be formed coalitions; shares best practices, benefits, achievements; and highlights key challenges facing coalitions.

Other businesses and donors are now being urged to back the approach and help strengthen these coalitions as an important part of the solution to the epidemic, which is devastating Africa’s people and economy.
For five years the GHI and World Bank’s AIDS Campaign Team for Africa (ACTafrica) have been working together to catalyse public-private partnerships in health by building and supporting business coalitions across Africa, and hence are well placed to coordinate the mapping and evaluation of the work done to date.

- Read the Report (PDF; 743k; 36 pgs)

Guidelines for building business coalitions against HIV/AIDS
This tool kit developed in November 2004 by the World Bank with support from the GHI and CCA provides practical, operational, timely and relevant guidance to companies and/or leaders in the private sector who want to combine forces in the fight against HIV/AIDS. It includes lessons learned and examples to those interested in forming or enhancing the effectiveness of a business coalition to fight HIV/AIDS.

 Overview  (PDF; 1pg; 77k)
 Developing a business plan  (PDF; 3pgs; 131k)
 Operationalizing the coalition  (PDF; 7pgs; 197k)
 Existing business coalitions  (PDF; 8pgs; 157k)

The full guide can be found on the World Bank website 

African Business Coalitions: Emerging Platforms for the Private Sector Response
The private sector is playing an increasingly important role in the fight against HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases by complementing the work of the public sector, and civil society…..
 
- Read the article from Perspective, African Journal on HIV/AIDS, Issue 12 2006