Botswana's comparative success in fighting HIV is founded on diamonds, the same natural resource that underpins the country's economic and social stability. Photo Credit: Leah Hazard

Botswana has become a regional leader for both responsible government and successful HIV/AIDS prevention policies. Despite having made significant progress, Botswana remains in the grasp of AIDS, with 270,000 afflicted citizens. A key catalyst in moving forward thus far has been the involvement of the private sector and in particular, the diamond-exporting De Beers company, the countries number one employer. As a 50/50 partnership with the Botswana Government under the name Debswana, De Beers has taken the initiative to construct a HIV/AIDS clinic in the mining town of Jwaneng that now treats over 3,100 patients with Anti-retroviral drugs. Projects like these and so much more have led Debswana to be seen as a positive corporate example. While certainly concerned about how poor health can debilitate their workforce and hurt business, the company highly prioritizes the moral concern for fighting the scourge of AIDS.



To download file, click on TheLancet.com and save file to desktop. Double click to open.




Contributed by Benji Wilson, editorial contributer to The Lancet Infectious Diseases publication. Reprinted with permission from The Lancet.com.

To read another Global Envision article about businesses fighting HIV/AIDS, see Joining the HIV Battle Makes Good Business.



Return to top