Doing business in Botswana? Job 1: Get an AIDS policy.

All George Gailey wanted to do was eke out a living in this dusty frontier bushtown, constructing three-bedroom bungalows for mineworkers who toil in one of the world's biggest diamond mines.

But before Mr. Gailey's construction firm could clear one piece of land, pour one ounce of concrete, or bring in a single pile of bricks, he had to have a robust HIV/AIDS program for his 168 workers.

In a country with one of the world's highest HIV infection rates, that's what mine owner Debswana requires of all its contractors and suppliers. At first, Gailey was skeptical. But after losing 10 workers to AIDS, he's now fully on board.

That puts him at the forefront of a growing movement by Botswana's small and midsized companies to tackle AIDS - an effort that's injecting fresh business-minded practicality into the often contentious global AIDS fight. The effort is one issue on the front burner in Washington today as the US Senate looks at ways Botswana's comprehensive anti-AIDS campaign can provide guidance for other African nations.

"In Botswana, as in many societies, you see the private sector leading the way," says Brad Ryder of the Botswana-based African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnership (ACHAP). "And what business does trickles down to government, eventually."

For Gailey, the impetus started with Debswana three years ago. "We're not allowed to put one shovel in the ground until we show them our AIDS policy," he says. And it can't be some half-baked scheme. He has, among other things, condom dispensers in his bathrooms, a full-time AIDS coordinator, regular AIDS seminars, and nondiscrimination policies. Debswana does monthly audits and requires Gailey's attendance at weekly meetings where AIDS is often discussed.

In 2000, Debswana, a joint venture between Botswana's government and diamond giant DeBeers, started requiring contractors to have policies as part of its expanding - and much-heralded - anti-AIDS efforts. The company says it doesn't care what the programs specifically look like.

"Our attitude is, have a policy in place, but just make sure it works for you," says Tsetsele Fantan, formerly Debswana's director of HIV/AIDS impact management, who recently took a job with ACHAP and is in Washington today discussing Botswana's AIDS programs.

At first, many firms only complied to get Debswana's lucrative contracts. But now they see the value - and are making their subcontractors do the same.

Among Jwaneng's 16,000 residents, that means 2,000 extra people are hearing anti-AIDS messages. Getting smaller businesses on board nationally could have a big impact in this country of 1.7 million people, where more than one-third are estimated to be HIV-positive. Debswana, for instance, employs only about 6,300 people. But the country's small and medium-sized businesses have more than 77,000 employees.

ACHAP - an alliance between Botswana's government, drug giant Merck & Co., and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - just gave $400,000 to jump-start the business anti-AIDS effort. It involves small firms banding together to develop best practices for fighting AIDS.

Page: 1 | 2