Sustainable Development
HIV/Aids
In communities where HIV/Aids infection levels are high, the pandemic can have major personal, social and economic impacts. Families, communities and employers are all affected.
HIV/Aids has the potential to affect SAB’s workforce and our supply chain. It can also weaken the stability of communities in which the business operates. It’s for this reason that SAB is working to contribute to the reduction of HIV/Aids.
We have extensive HIV/Aids programmes in place for employees, their families, local communities and suppliers. Our employees are encouraged to take part in voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) programmes annually. All employees and their dependents also have access to a managed health care programme. This includes lifestyle management and the provision of anti-retroviral therapy.
SAB is also using its existing infrastructure and extensive distribution footprint to deliver condoms to the local taverns the company serves across South Africa. Over five years, sixteen thousand local South African taverns will receive their share of more than 845 million condoms in a public private partnership between SAB, the National Department of Health (NDoH), the South African Business Coalition on HIV/Aids (SABCOHA) and the Society of Family Health (SFH), which will assist in extending the distribution reach to non-traditional outlets.
SAB’s distribution of 845 million condoms is expected to assist in averting more than 1.6 million new HIV infections over the next five years. A study by John Stover, who is the founder and president of Futures Institute, claims that for every 500 condoms distributed, at least one new infection was averted. This indicates that condoms are highly effective in protecting individuals against contracting HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI’s).
Another external campaign is the SAB Tavern Intervention Programme for Men. The programme is run in partnership with Men for Development in South Africa (Medsa) and targets men that have been identified by law enforcement and community members as perpetrators of violence against women and children and other social crimes which can result from the abuse of alcohol. These men are targeted in the places they frequent often, South Africa’s local taverns.
At each session, the participants, who are over the age of 18, are taken through comprehensive structured modules covering responsible alcohol use, HIV/Aids, gender-based violence and children’s rights. Men are also urged to openly discuss their personal beliefs, community pressures and other social issues that may lead to unacceptable behaviours and practises.
