Latest HSRC Study

The HSRC has just released its latest results of its national HIV prevalence study.  This is the third time this study has been conducted - first in 2002, then 2005 and finally in 2008.

You want the good news or the bad news?

Well the good news is that the national prevalence rate (the number of infections) has dropped to around 11%.  The bad news is that this figure includes all ages; from 0 years old to 60+.

The good part of the good news is that there seems to have been a significant drop in HIV infections amongst teenagers.  Which is great news, for those of us who will be hiring them in six or seven years time.  

The not so good news is that the HIV infections that caused problems in the last survey (in 2005) amongst the teenagers are now in the 20+ bracket and are moving into the number of potentially employable.  Of significance is the 21% of women aged between 20 and 24 and the 32% of women aged between 25-29.  

Men, as always, seem to come out on top of this gamble, except in the older (40+) age groups.

Infections amongst working age populations also vary widely by province, with Mpumalanga winning the dubious title of first place with nearly 26%.  The Western Cape comes in last with just over 5% prevalence.

The interpretation of all of this is that we seem to be winning the battle - but there is a long road ahead.  HIV knowledge is not as high as it used to be, but changes in behaviour seem to be taking place.  

So if your business has an HIV programme in place, take a bow - you are contributing to a (slowly) winning cause.  If you don't have anything in place yet?  What are you waiting for?

Managing HIV

We have had a number of responses asking about the "managability" of HIV. Well, HIV is a managable disease, but only if you are aware of it. It is like any risk to your business, it can be managed if you are aware of it and are willing to take action to minimise the risk.

HIV prevalence in your business is a risk. But you have to be aware of how much of a risk. You also need to be aware of the various risk management strategies that can be implemented.

If it is not acknowledged, HIV is unquantifiable. If it is not quantified, HIV is unmanagable. If its not managed, HIV is a risk to your business.

Acknowledge it, Quantify it and Manage it. Learn how at http://www.beyondthebalancesheet.net/

Not with a Bang, with a Whimper!

I got a call from a client last week. He asked if I I knew of someone who had a driver's license, who was reliable that his company could use as a driver / courier. I asked what had happened to the person who normally did this job.

He has been signed off sick for a week - again. We are not sure why.

Is it HIV? Is it HIV related? We don't know, and we may never know. What we DO know is that his business is now in desperate need of a skilled person, at short notice.

This is how HIV affects the business. It is not an aggressive, full frontal assault on the company, threatening corporate takeover. It is the subtle, gnawing away of skills, institutional memory, communication nodes, and relationships. The things that actually make business happen.

Your business is not going to close down tomorrow becuase of HIV. But if you don't do something about it, HIV is going to affect your business. Sooner or later you too will face a situation where a key member of staff; maybe not a highly skilled one, maybe not a highly paid one, but one that is central to your operations, one that acts as a linchpin in daily operations, is affected by HIV. That is going to impact on your business.

So what are you doing about minimising this impact?

www.beyondthebalancesheet.net

What will 2009 bring your business?

So, it's a New Year, full of new opportunities and new promises. What will 2009 bring your business? New business? New customers? New products to sell? New threats? New staff? In each of these there will be cost to your business. In some cases it will be an investment, in other cases, you will wave your money goodbye...

What about new ideas of saving money?

HIV is draining your company's bank account every day. This is not just a problem for larger companies, but for ANY companies that employ people. The reason for this is that HIV is a people based threat. Have you thought of how to protect your company, and at the same time save money? Do you have an HIV policy in place? Do you know how much HIV is costing your business.

Set yourself one goal for this year. Stop the drain that HIV is causing your business. For ideas and information on how to do this, visit www.beyondthebalancesheet.net

Who is affected?

One of the reasons HIV is a threat to your business, its sustainability and its long term future lies in the fact that South Africa has the greatest number of HIV positive people of any country in the world. See Amnesty International’s report here in the links below.

Somewhere between 20 and 25 percent of South Africa’s working age population are HIV+, depending on the study you read and quote. So one in every four or five people between the ages of 16 and 59 have HIV. How many of your staff fit this profile? How many of your customers or suppliers fit this profile?

One of the first reactions people have when they hear this is to start thinking of the people they know and to begin “pigeon holing” them. But this is not a useful practice – there is not a “profile” that people with HIV can fall under. Some are rich, some are poor, some are well educated, some are not, some are women, some are men, some are employees, some are bosses, some are business partners, some are trusted friends, some are suppliers, some are clients.

I think the most useful action you can take is to ask how HIV might affect your operations, your efficiency, your payroll, your cash flow and your business relationships.

How will HIV affect your business?

Why Bother?

Let's get real. You're running a small business, not a charity. Your obligation to your staff starts the moment they walk in the front door and ends the moment they walk out. If they get sick, that's what sick leave is for. Why should a business owner like yourself be worried about HIV infection in your staff?

I have been involved in small business initiatives for over a decade. The number of obstacles, threats, perceived and potential threats, as well as general rough-and-tumble faced by the small business owner are innumerable.

The threat of HIV to your business is another of these perceived obstacles to make your business financially secure.

It's just the same as a potential threat of a large customer choosing a competitor instead of you. Or a major supplier running short of an essential component. Or a bank calling in your overdraft. All of these affect your business' financial security - and by implication, your financial security.

The good news is that that you've probably got plans in place to deal with all these potential threats.

My question to you is, "Do you have a plan in place to deal with the threat of HIV to your business?"