Strategic responses of Kenya HIV/AIDS business council member firms to the HIV/AIDS pandemic

Abstract

The study looked into the strategic responses of the Kenya HIV/AIOS Business Council member firms to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. A cross sectional census survey was conducted. The population of interest was the registered sixty five member firms of the Kenya HIV/AIDS Business Council. The data was collected by use of a semi-structured questionnaire which was administered via E-mail and the drop and pick later method, which is a variant of the conventional mail survey, to the CEOs and MO's of the various organizations. Only 34 responded to the questionnaire. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics which included mean scores and percentages. The study revealed that most of the firms studied were responding actively to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Some of the interventions the firms had put in place were setting up a workplace HIV/AIOS program and coming up with a workplace HIV/AIOS policy. These strategic responses have however been developed in the last few years implying that the firms took long to realize that HIV was not just a medical issue but a business issue as well. The main challenges to these interventions were cited as lack of adequate resources and employee commitment. The Kenya HIV/AIOS Business Council has played a major role in mobilizing these private sector firms to come up with strategic responses to fight the HIV IAIDS scourge however, efforts must be made to urge organizations to scale up the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic as the scourge is ruining the socio-ecqnornic fabric of the country.