Lanka Business Coalition on HIV and AIDS
Minister of Labour Relations and Manpower Athauda Seneviratne will
address the second annual general assembly of the Lanka Business
Coalition on HIV and AIDS at the Hilton Colombo on July 23.
To date over 60 multinationals/large local corporates and SMEs have
aligned themselves to this Business Coalition who are committed to
bringing together the Government, the business community and civil
society in the national response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
The CEOs and Heads of Businesses of all member companies will be in
attendance. Dr Ramnik Ahuja, Advisor (Health) with the Confederation of
Indian Industry (CII) will be the speaker.
The Coalition will also mark the occasion by launching the official
website for the Lanka Business Coalition on HIV and AIDS.
In Sri Lanka, the Coalition works with its partners to ensure that
each of the member organizations will have an HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy
in place, as well as provide ongoing tailored HIV/AIDS awareness
training through a pool of professional trainers at no cost to the
organizations; setting up trainer skills and facilities in each of the
member organizations.
In the long term the Coalition plans to identify vulnerable subgroups
in areas that are often difficult to access, and encourage businesses
working in those areas to join the coalition and thereby raise awareness
through the shared learning and skills of the existing members.
Spearheaded by the Standard Chartered Bank the Business Coalition
emerged as a result of the eighth International Congress on AIDS in the
Asia Pacific (ICCAP) that was held in Sri Lanka in August 2007. The
Lanka Business Coalition on HIV and AIDS is a member of the Asia Pacific
Business Coalition on AIDS.
The Coalition also strives to drive Sri Lanka’s business sector to
implement much needed HIV Work Place Policies throughout their
organizations. The policy would provide a framework for action to reduce
the spread of HIV/AIDS, avoid stigma towards those living with the
disease and manage its impact on the labour force.
The Coalition provides awareness training sessions and customized
policy development services at no cost to the organizations. It also
provides a platform for centers of expertise, resources and material to
be shared.
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