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HIV/AIDS poses a vast and growing global health risk. PepsiCo recognizes the importance of actively working to fight this pandemic. Learn more about our efforts to stop its spread.
At PepsiCo, we recognize HIV/AIDS as a uniquely challenging global health issue, which poses a significant threat to the sustainability of our business operations worldwide. We are committed to making a significant contribution to the fight against this devastating pandemic and to assisting employees and family members affected by it. In order to guide our actions, PepsiCo has established an internal task force on HIV/AIDS to address the issue in our businesses.
Our policy outlines an approach that will be applied across the diverse array of markets in which we operate. In South Africa for example, we have made important strides, including establishment of a comprehensive HIV/AIDS testing and treatment program. Based on our experience there, we believe that any sustainable program to combat HIV/AIDS must focus first on building awareness, encouraging prevention and reducing the stigma associated with the disease. However to succeed in the long term an HIV/AIDS program must include a testing and treatment component.
We are currently working toward our goal of ensuring that all of our employees and their families have access to affordable treatment for HIV/AIDS, including such services as anti-retroviral drugs, treatment for relief of HIV-related symptoms, nutrition counseling and supplements, stress reduction and treatment for the more common opportunistic infections, including STDs and tuberculosis.
The way we address HIV/AIDS in any individual country will reflect that country's particular needs and circumstances. Approaches may include review of existing benefit mechanisms to provide for the needs of workers living with HIV/AIDS and consultation with government and other partners to explore the sustainability of new health benefits, specifically addressing the retroviral and opportunistic elements of HIV/AIDS.
All of our HIV/AIDS programs will embody the following principles:
We have made great progress in developing and implementing workplace programs in South Africa, India, Russia, China, Thailand and Mexico.
We announced our global HIV/AIDS policy in 2005 and communicated it throughout our company. In South Africa, we launched a direct AIDS intervention program, which included full treatment coverage for all employees and spouses. We are continuing the program, providing community outreach through peer education and providing assistance to affected families.
In India, we have provided education, treatment and community outreach programs, including peer education.
In China, we have provided education, engaged in programs with outside groups and have a dedicated wellness doctor who visits our business unit facilities to provide information on health and wellness issues, with an emphasis on HIV/AIDS. We established an information hotline to answer questions about HIV/AIDS and other health issues, as well as providing referrals to treatment facilities and case management where appropriate. In Russia, in addition to employee education and awareness, PepsiCo is participating in community educational programs.
In Thailand, our business has been a part of a number of activities, including a National Children's Day's activity book on AIDS prevention for children and how to live with AIDS-infected children. The business has a certificate of gold level from the AIDS Response Standard Organization (ASO Thailand) for outstanding HIV/AIDS work. In the United States, PepsiCo has an active program that includes information on HealthRoads website, review of benefit plans to ensure coverage of HIV/AIDS. In addition, associates participated in HIV/AIDS awareness marches across the United States, raising funds to fight this disease.
PepsiCo has been a member of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GBC), a not-for-profit group dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS and related diseases since 2002. PepsiCo has separate HIV/AIDS workplace programs in countries where there is high or rising prevalence as well as where we have major operations, including South Africa, China, India, Russia, and the United States.
For information on GBC visit: http://www.businessfightsaids.org
PepsiCo recognizes the dangers pandemics could pose to our employees and business, and has established a task force that is addressing this and other potential pandemics. In the United States, this includes education, awareness and steps to take regarding work related issues.
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