GBC — AIDS, TB and Malaria at a Glance

There is a great deal that business is doing about HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria-reaching people to whom they have special access such as their workforce and plugging critical gaps in the worldwide battle against these pandemics by bringing their talents and resources to bear where it matters most.

The challenge is awesome, as the statistics that follow make clear.

Why is HIV/AIDS a business issue?

According to UNAIDS estimates, 33 million people are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. AIDS disproportionately affects individuals aged 15-45, who typically comprise the most economically productive demographic. Workforce loss has profound personal, social and business implications. Worker absenteeism and diminished human capital hinders business operations, leading to higher operating costs and limited investment opportunities.

HIV/AIDS is ravaging emerging economies such as China, India, and Russia. The growing epidemics in these countries threaten to reverse recent gains in social and economic development. As wealth in emerging markets increases, there is a risk that behavioral changes could increase prevalence of the disease.

AIDS can be treated using combinations of anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs), though such treatment remains unavailable to the majority of patients who need it. The lack of HIV testing is a critical gap in prevention efforts; it is estimated that 90% of people living with HIV in the developing world are not aware of their status.

Some Challenges

There are an estimated 33.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide.
It is estimated that 13 million children have been orphaned by AIDS.
AIDS threatens to reduce GDP in African countries by up to 2.6%.
72% of those in need of ARVs in low and middle-income countries still remain untreated.
An untreated employee may cost his/her company over three times as much as his/her annual salary.
In sub-Saharan Africa, Young women aged 15 to 24 are up to three times more likely to be infected than boys of the same age.

Some Opportunities

Successful treatment programs may reduce the direct cost of HIV/AIDS by as much as 40%.
Testing programs, workplace education, and policies to prevent discrimination have been shown to make a difference.

Why is TB a business issue?

Tuberculosis kills 2 million people every year. Workforce loss due to TB, like HIV, has profound personal, social and business implications. Worker absenteeism and diminished human capital hinders business operations, which in turn leads to higher operating costs and limited investment opportunities. The disease drains $16 billion from the annual incomes of the world's poorest communities. In some countries, the loss of productivity attributable to TB approaches 7% of GDP. AIDS and tuberculosis are closely interrelated; TB is the leading cause of death for people living with HIV/AIDS.

No new drugs have been developed for the treatment of TB since the 1960s and the vaccine used to prevent TB was developed in 1923 and is largely ineffective.Treatment for TB is complex, as patients must adhere to strict treatment regimens for at least 6 months at a time. Failure to follow treatment guidelines can lead to outbreaks of multi-drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and extreme-drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB), which are much more expensive and difficult to treat.Outbreaks of MDR and XDR-TB have occurred in recent years in countries such as South Africa and Russia. These lethal strains of tuberculosis cannot be treated by first-line therapies.

Some Challenges

TB kills someone every fifteen seconds and kills two million people each year.
TB is the leading infectious killer of people with HIV/AIDS.
In sub-Saharan Africa, a third of people with HIV also suffer from TB.
TB is estimated to cause more deaths among women of reproductive age than all causes of maternal mortality.

Some Opportunities

TB infection can be prevented, treated and contained. The World Health Organization recommends the DOTS strategy for TB detection and cure. Drugs for DOTS can cost only US$10 per person for the full treatment course and the strategy has a success rate of up to 80% in the poorest countries.

Why is malaria a business issue?

Roughly 2.5 billion people in 90 counties — 40% of the total world population — are at risk of contracting malaria. Malaria is endemic in much of the developing world, especially in Africa, where the illness is responsible for the deaths of 1-2 million children each year.

Malaria has a direct effect on worker productivity; one of the leading causes for worker absenteeism in Africa is Malaria. The economic impacts of the disease are estimated to cost African countries $12 billion per year in lost GDP.

Malaria is a parasitic disease transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito.It can be prevented using simple technologies such as insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs), indoor spraying of homes, and reduction of mosquito breeding grounds.

Some Challenges:

Every 30 seconds, an African child dies from malaria. The disease kills over 1 million people per year and afflicts as many as 500 million.
Ninety percent of malaria deaths occur in Africa.
Economists estimate that malaria costs endemic countries 1.3% of GDP annually in lost productivity.
A staggering 72% of businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa are affected by malaria, with over half of these firms reporting serious fiscal impact, according to the World Economic Forum.
People living with HIV and malaria have been shown to experience increased viral loads of HIV, making them more likely to transmit the virus to others.
People infected with HIV are more likely to catch malaria due to a weakened immune system.

Some Opportunities

Access to insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) – a highly effective method of malaria prevention – has increased dramatically in Africa. The number of ITNs distributed has increased 10-fold during the past three years in more than 14 African countries.