| The state of Business Coalitions in Sub-Saharan Africa |
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The state of Business Coalitions in Sub-Saharan AfricaAt least 20 coalitions exist in sub-Saharan Africa today, with more than 16 having been established in the last five years. For five years the Global Health Initiative and World Bank’s AIDS Campaign Team for Africa (ACTafrica) have been working together to catalyse public-private partnerships in health by building and supporting business coalitions across Africa, and hence are well placed to coordinate the mapping and evaluation of the work done to date. The study, completed in October 2006, provides guidance to newly-launched and those soon to be formed coalitions; shares best practices, benefits, achievements; and highlights key challenges facing coalitions. Other businesses and donors are now being urged to back the approach and help strengthen these coalitions as an important part of the solution to the epidemic, which is devastating Africa’s people and economy. Click here to access the report on the World Economic Forum website: According to the WEF, the emergence of business coalitions is a recent development in sub-Saharan Africa: most have only been created in the last two to five years. 1. BOTSWANA BUSINESS COALITION ON AIDS (BBCA)BBCA was established in 1994 by a consortium of companies dedicated to the fight against HIV/AIDS. Its founding members included companies such as the Associated Fund Administrators (AFA), Barclays Bank, Debswana, etc. Initial support for the organization was provided by its founding members, through in-kind contributions and a 50% feasibility study grant by NORAD, the Norwegian agency. The grant sought to assess how the private sector could contribute to the national HIV/AIDS response. BBCA works within the context of the National Strategic Framework (NSF) 2003-2009 to promote the message that the private sector has to ensure that all companies engaged in business in Botswana apply the “Minimum Internal Package” (MIP). The MIP outlines eight minimum requirements that companies should aim to fulfill, e.g. workplace policy, employee access to prevention, treatment, care and support, etc. Click here to view the official BBCA website: 2. CAMEROON BUSINESS COALITION (CBC)The Cameroon Business Coalition against HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria (Coalition de la Communauté des Affaires contre le SIDA, la Tuberculose et le Paludisme; CCA≠SIDA) was formally launched in March2006 to elevate the private sector response from a company-level working group to a national initiative. GICAM (the employers federation) was the primary driving force behind the launch, working alongside the ILO, the chambers of commerce, several federations and associations, the trade unions and the platform PCGE, which covers 99% of the private sector in Cameroon. 3. COALITION OF IVORIAN BUSINESSES AGAINST HIV/AIDS (CECI)The coalition was formally established on 5 April 2006. CECI was formed following the first General Meeting. The three main bodies representing the Ivorian private sector include:
The Ministry of HIV/AIDS and major unions have also been involved in the coalition creation. The inclusion of the SME organisations in the creation of the coalition means CECI covers most of the formal economy. This is hoped to provide a strong foundation to embed SME outreach and involvement into coalition plans from the beginning. 4. THE DRC BUSINESS COALITION AGAINST HIV/AIDS (CIELS)The Comité Interentreprises de Lutte contre le VIH/SIDA (CIELS/the DRC Business Coalition against HIV/AIDS) is a non-profit organisation established to support the private sector in the development of effective workplace programmes against HIV/AIDS. The coalition was established through a public-private partnership between GTZ (the German technical cooperation agency) and Bralima, a subsidiary of the multinational company Heineken. In February 2003, a national HIV/AIDS coordinating body was established in Kinshasa. During the same year, the national coordinating body established regional representatives in four provinces: Katanga, Sud-Kivu, Province Orientale and Bas- Congo. In November 2003, CIELS officially received its status as a non-profit organization and obtained its statutes, constitution and code of good conduct. 5. ETHIOPIAN BUSINESS COALITION AGAINST AIDS (EBCA)President Girma Woldegiorgis of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia officially inaugurated the EBCA in May 2004. The major founding members were: Harrar Brewery, BGI Ethiopia, United Bank, Debre Brehan Blanket Factory, Unity University College, Ambo Mineral Water, Wegagen Bank, Total Ethiopia, Ethiopian Employers Federation, the Chamber of Commerce, the Ethiopian Manufacturing Industries Association, and the Women’s Entrepreneurship Association. 6. GHANA BUSINESS COALITION AGAINST HIV/AIDS (GBCAA)The Ghana Business Coalition was inaugurated on 26 July 2006. The launch event was planned to include business executives, ministers of state, traditional leaders, development partners and NGOs. Up to this point, HIV/AIDS workplace programmes had remained uncoordinated and lacked sustainable technical support. In response the Ghana AIDS Commission constituted a Working Group – comprising representatives of national and multinational companies – to develop strategies for establishing a business coalition as a focal point for coordination of the business sector response, which led to the creation of the Interim Board of the GBCAA. 7. KENYA HIV BUSINESS COUNCIL (KHBC)The Business Council was formally launched in 2001, establishing a full-time secretariat in July 2002. There were eight founding members including Unilever, Kenya Commercial Bank, Central Bank of Kenya, GSK, BAT Kenya, Shell and East Africa Breweries. KHBC is registered as a non-profit organization (which is different from an NGO in Kenya). KHBC did not receive donor or seed funding during setup. The set up was funded through three major donations from Unilever, Coca Cola and GSK. Click here to view the KHBC's official website: 8. MALAWI BUSINESS COALITION AGAINST HIV/AIDS (MBCA)MBCA took several years and a number of re-launches to get fully up and running, but is now a prospering coalition. In February 2003 the business coalition was formally launched, under the Chambers of Commerce with 15 companies, and a Programme Director seconded by the Chambers of Commerce. 9. THE MALAIN PRIVATE SECTOR COALITION AGAINST HIV/AIDSThe SE/HCNLS (Executive Secretariat of the National High Council against AIDS) in collaboration with SIDA-ENTREPRISES and with support from the World Bank, established a Malian Private Sector Coalition against HIV/AIDS. It was established in December 2005 and inaugurated in March 2006. 10. MAURITANIA BUSINESS COALITION AGAINST AIDS (CEMA-VIH/SIDA)The Comité National de Lutte Contre le SIDA Secrétariat Exécutif (SENLS), the Mauritania HIV/AIDS Business Coalition, and Yahya ALioune Kane, consultant, are managing the development of the Mauritanian Business Coalition against HIV/AIDS (CEMA-VIH/SIDA). The coalition was formally launched on 15 May 2006. 11. NAMIBIA BUSINESS COALITION ON HIV/AIDS (NABCOA)Eight founder members kick-started NABCOA in November 2002. It was formally launched on 3 June 2003 with 50 members. NAMDEB (Diamonds), BP, City of Windoek, Sanlam (insurance), Barloworld, Standard Bank, Bank Windoek and the O&L Group played a particularly important role in the creation of NABCOA.
The focus was on developing products and services for members, rather than embarking on a major recruitment drive. Now that these services have been developed, NABCOA will be: Website: http://www.nabcoa.org/ 12. NIGERIA BUSINESS COALITION AGAINST AIDS (NIBUCAA)
The Nigerian Business Coalition Against AIDS (NIBUCAA), an initiative of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, (CGFR), President of Nigeria, was established in February 2003 and the Secretariat commissioned on 22 December 2003. There were 24 founding members. The most active founding members included: 13. RWANDA BUSINESS COALITION (APELAS)The HIV/AIDS business coalition in Rwanda, “Association du privé et para-étatique dans la lutte contre le VIH/SIDA” (APELAS), was created in 2001.The founding member was the FRSP (Rwandese Federation of the Private Sector). The president of APELAS is Dr Juru, Medical Director of the National Bank of Rwanda, one of the first institutions to introduce a HIV/AIDS workplace programme in the country (together with Bralirwa, the Heineken company). 14. SWAZILAND BUSINESS COALITION AGAINST HIV/AIDS (BCHA)The Swaziland Business Coalition against HIV/AIDS (BCHA) was formed in 2001 as a substructure of the Federation of Swaziland Employers and Chamber of Commerce (FSE&CC) when the increasing impact of HIV/AIDS at the world of work and nearby communities was recorded. BCHA is a tripartite organisation initiated in partnership with NGOs and labour unions. 15. AIDS BUSINESS COALITION TANZANIA (ABCT)ABCT was formally launched on 18 August 2004, having been initiated in February 2004. It started with 23 member companies. ABCT is registered as an NGO in Tanzania. Website: http://www.abctz.org 16. UGANDA BUSINESS COALITION (UBC-HIV/AIDS)UBC-HIV/AIDS was officially established in April 2001. UBC-HIV/AIDS has a dual purpose of being a service provider and a business coalition. The services are provided to formal business organizations, the informal sector and any self-employed individuals willing and able to pay for services. Click here to view their website: 17. ZAMBIA BUSINESS COALITION ON HIV/AIDS (ZBCA)ZBCA was launched in 2000. The process began when the CEOs of four multinational corporations – Barclays, Standard Chartered, BP and Zambia National Commercial Bank (ZNCB) – first came together in 1999. They wanted a coordinated response in dealing with HIV/AIDS in the workplace. They gained support from other businesses, and ZBCA was launched with 10 member companies. 18. ZIMBABWE BUSINESS COUNCIL ON AIDS (ZBCA)ZBCA was registered as a trust in December 2004. ZBCA was to become a focal point from which the necessary leadership, advocacy and support was to be provided. The trust deed was signed by 13 members including Standard Chartered Bank, Unilever, Cotton Company of Zimbabwe, Kingdom Bank, Delta Cooperation(bottling beverages), Old Mutual, Ok Zimbabwe (retail chain), Zimbabwe Sugar Refineries, Anglo American Co-operation, Colgate Palmolive, ZimPlats (Makwiro platinum mine), BAT (British American Tobacco), Dairiboard (dairy processing). ZBCA has experienced a turbulent beginning. The organization was staffed by only one person, the Board of Trustees and technical committees. The current secretariat has been operational since February 2006 and is focusing on solidifying ZBCA’s existence and structure. Related articles |