HIV/AIDS INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION:
The statistics are still staggering: last year approximately 3.1 million deaths worldwide were
attributed to AIDS.1 With about 5 million new infections last year, the total global population of
people living with HIV/AIDS is estimated at 40 million.2 While two-thirds of those afflicted
reside in sub-Saharan Africa, infections continue to rise in each region of the globe.3 It’s not
surprising, then, that firms are eyeing fast-emerging economies such as Brazil, Russia, India and
China and noting the potential negative impact of this disease on their bottom line.
In addition to obvious issues of workplace productivity and morale, firms are increasingly
confronting valuation concerns in high-prevalence areas.4 Outside factors also play a role, with
the U.S. consumer demanding more substantial action from businesses on this issue: more than
two-thirds believe that companies should be actively fighting AIDS.5 Many firms are weighing
the question of internal program development and implementation versus reliance on public
health programs in their host countries. Yet while fifty percent of business leaders expect AIDS
to have an affect upon their firms’ operations within five years, less than ten percent have
actually taken the steps to conduct a quantitative HIV/AIDS risk assessment.6
It’s feasible, then, to think that the issue of HIV/AIDS and specifically its impact upon business
performance is soon to be an essential element of a comprehensive business education. While
some classes do exist that address AIDS in several disciplinary perspectives within business,
most are elective courses; the integration of AIDS-related matters into core coursework is
relatively unexplored. This issue of A Closer Look investigates how B-schools and their
curricula are presently tackling this issue.