HIV/Aids

Performance

Educating our employees and providing healthcare

All our businesses in areas of high HIV/Aids prevalence run 'peer educator' programmes, which aim to inform our employees, encourage VCT and reduce the stigma associated with HIV/Aids. On 31 March 2012 we had 1,847 peer educators, equating to one peer educator in for every 13 employees in high prevalence countries.

VCT plays an important role in ensuring that HIV positive employees and their spouses get early access to managed healthcare programmes (MHC). We encourage all our employees, and their spouses, to participate in annual VCT. Last year, 62% of employees in high prevalence countries were tested. This is a decrease from last year (74%) as our Zimbabwean business has been included for the first time. In addition, we tested 2,578 spouses or dependants, a 32% increase on the previous 12 months.

We increasingly adopt an approach to reducing HIV/Aids that has a wider focus than just our employees. Last year we extended our couples testing programme, which had achieved success in Uganda, to Mozambique.

Extending our reach

We recognise the role we can play in the local communities using our expertise to share our proven internal programmes with those that may benefit in our supply chain. As such, we have provided access to education programmes, VCT and treatment to many groups in our supply chain, including small scale farmers, truck drivers and hospitality workers.

In Uganda, Nile Breweries has trained 375 barley and sorghum farmers as peer educators and estimates that over 13,000 farmers have received HIV/Aids training. During the last year, Nile Breweries launched a campaign to provide HIV/Aids voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) for over 500 workers in bars, lodges hotels and restaurants in the trading areas of Njeru and Mbiko near its brewery in Jinja.

In India, through Project Humsafar, SABMiller India is working to raise awareness of HIV/Aids amongst truck drivers. The programme includes the facilitation of group discussions, distribution of free awareness materials, condom demonstrations and distribution, one-on-one sessions and talk shows. Over the last year, the programme was expanded to Andra Pradesh and since the programme began in 2008, over 17,000 truckers have been reached and 46,000 condoms distributed.

Beyond HIV/Aids

As well as HIV/Aids, there are other diseases which are prevalent and impact on our business and the wider community, particularly in Africa. These include sexually transmitted diseases (STD's), tuberculosis and malaria. Where these diseases are a problem, we have programmes in place for their prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

This year we piloted a new Wellness Development Programme covering sexually transmitted infections, hepatitis B and C, malaria and tuberculosis for peer educators in Botswana, South Africa, Swaziland and Tanzania.

In Zambia, National Breweries has a 'Kick Out Malaria' month across its five breweries, and provides all employees with malaria nets. This was recognised this year by the Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry as National Breweries won an award for the “Business leader in the Fight Against Malaria”.