SABCOHA
The South African Business Coalition on HIV and AIDS (SABCOHA) is a member-driven organisation comprising corporates, medium size and small companies as well as service providers in the HIV field.
With a mandate from Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), SABCOHA speaks on behalf of the private sector and represents business on the South African National Aids Council (SANAC). It co-ordinates the private sector response to HIV and plays a key role in government-led efforts to combat the disease.
Under the leadership of SABCOHA, the private sector has developed a unified response to combating HIV/AIDS in the Four Zeros:
- Zero tolerance for new HIV infections;
- Zero tolerance for AIDS-related illnesses and deaths;
- Zero tolerance for new babies born with HIV; and
- Zero tolerance for discrimination.
SABCOHA also strives to be the leading source of information on the business response to HIV. SABCOHA’s website, www.sabcoha.org, updates members and the community on new research, best practice, news and other relevant information. There are also monthly events and an electronic newsletter.
One of its key functions is to forge partnerships with other players in the government, business, development sector and international arena, as well as funders, as the scale of the epidemic calls for collaborative responses. Progress has been made in strengthening the private sector’s involvement in fighting HIV in the provinces, particularly in Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Gauteng. SABCOHA represents business on the AIDS councils of the three.
For more information: http://www.sabcoha.org/provincial-branches/provincial-branches.html
Projects
SABCOHA pilots projects to develop best practice models to help its members and others manage the impact of HIV.
Supply chain development projects
Given that small suppliers are ill-equipped to tackle the challenges of HIV, SABCOHA has partnered with several multinationals - Eskom Limited Holdings, Daimler Chrysler, Volkswagen SA and JICA - to strengthen workplace programmes among suppliers. In June 2008, it began to offer supply chain companies the opportunity to provide free VCT and treatment to their employees. This shifts the burden from the employer to SABCOHA. It also signed an agreement with Sapref and the DAC in July 2008 to implement HIV/AIDS management programmes in their organisations’ supply chains.
BizAIDS
This remarkable project aims to give capacity to very small business owners faced with HIV and other emergencies. Through workshops, BizAIDS guides these businesses to take the correct steps to protect themselves and ensure the wellbeing of their employees and their families.
Project Promote
Project Promote is a public-private partnership between SABCOHA, the Department of Health, Prestige Group, Fidelity Supercare and Steiner. It has unprecedented co-operation between the three sectors in the distribution of condoms.
Peer educator forums
Led by SABCOHA, peer educator forums have been set up in Johannesburg, Rustenburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London and Cape Town.
Eastern Cape HIV & AIDS SME Workplace Programme
The Eastern Cape HIV and AIDS Partnership Project grew out of a ground-breaking private-public partnership between the Eastern Cape AIDS Council, InWEnt, the Eastern Cape Development Corporation and SABCOHA
For more information: http://www.sabcoha.org/projects/projects.html
Management
SABCOHA is run by a CEO, Brad Mears, who is guided by a Board of Governors and a chairperson, Dr Natalie Mayet. It has two patrons - Edwin Cameron and Bongani Khumalo.
For more information: http://www.sabcoha.org/who-we-are/who-we-are.html
Contact
Anita Volker
3rd Floor
158 Jan Smuts Ave
Rosebank
Johannesburg
Tel: (011) 880 4821
Fax: (011) 880 6084
Email: info@sabcoha.co.za
Staff
See http://www.sabcoha.org/who-we-are/staff.html
Members
See http://www.sabcoha.org/members/members.html
Resources:
For SABCOHA news updates see: http://www.sabcoha.org/press-releases/index.php
For news on HIV/Aids see: http://www.sabcoha.org/in-the-news/index.php
Click here to view the 2009 SABCOHA Annual Report: http://www.sabcoha.org/images/stories/files/annual_reports/sabcoha_AR_09.PDF
Useful Links: See http://www.sabcoha.org/useful-links/useful-links.html
Reports: See http://www.sabcoha.org/resources/4.html