Global Business Coalition President Encourages Businesses To Increase Efforts To Fight HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria

Richard Holbrooke -- president of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations -- on Tuesday called on companies to increase their involvement in the global fight against HIV, TB and malaria, the Financial Times reports. Holbrooke also called on governments to recognize the skills the private sector could bring to the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Holbrooke was speaking ahead of the coalition's annual awards ceremony, which was held on Wednesday (Jack, Financial Times, 6/13). Eight member companies were presented with awards (GBC release, 6/13). The awards for the first time included businesses working on projects to fight HIV, TB and malaria, the Times reports. At the ceremony, Standard Chartered was recognized for working with the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria's local country coordinating mechanism in Gambia to provide business management skills and for training staff and customers on HIV awareness. Standard Chartered also was recognized for promoting HIV testing messages on automatic teller machines in China and Thailand. HBO was recognized for airing documentaries, films and public service announcements that addressed issues associated with HIV/AIDS, the Times reports.

In addition, Marathon Oil received an award for its five-year, $13 million malaria control program on Bioko Island in Equatorial Guinea. The program, which funds insecticide spraying and drug treatment, was launched in 2003 in collaboration with public health experts and officials. Systematic monitoring has found a 95% reduction in mosquitoes and a 44% reduction in malaria cases among children since the program was launched, according to the Times. Marathon also has provided $1 million in seed money and helped the government with a $26 million grant application to the Global Fund to launch the program nationwide (Financial Times, 6/13). Other award recipients included Chevron, Coca-Cola China Beverages, Abbott and Abbott Fund, Eskom Holdings and Eli Lilly. GBC also presented an award to former President Bill Clinton for his leadership on HIV/AIDS and other global health issues (GBC release, 6/13).