Managing the costs of HIV/AIDS: A case study of a South African contract cleaning company |
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| Authors: | Jeff Gow Gavin George Bligh Grant |
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| Institution: | 1. School of Accounting, Economics and Finance , University of Southern Queensland , Australia;2. HEARD (Health Economics and HIV &3. AIDS Research Division) , University of KwaZulu-Natal , Durban;4. HEARD , University of KwaZulu-Natal , Durban;5. Centre for Local Government, School of Business, Economics and Public Policy , University of New England , Australia |
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| Abstract: | This paper, based on a case study of a South African contract cleaning company in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, adds to the recent literature on the management of the financial impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. After situating the research alongside recent contributions that have examined large enterprises, and small, medium and micro enterprises, the paper provides a profile of the company and its predominantly female workforce. The company's management of costs incurred due to HIV/AIDS is critically assessed from the perspective of financial sustainability, using an AIDS Projection Model developed by Matthews (2007 Matthews, A. 2007. Computational modelling of the impact of AIDS on business. AIDS, 21(Supplement 3): S91–7. Crossref] , Google Scholar]). It was found that while continued employment of this workforce is economically sustainable, both from the perspective of the business and the associated provident fund, the costs to employees are far from equitable. The paper therefore recommends the implementation of a holistic HIV/AIDS management programme, including treatment and prevention activities. |
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| Keywords: | HIV/AIDS labour economics social impact South Africa |
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