The status of HIV/Aids reporting

Abstract

Companies are increasingly under pressure to disclose their HIV/Aids policies and practices. Some of the developments include the second King Report on Corporate Governance (King II), the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and SAICA's draft document for public comment titled Corporate Governance and HIV/Aids. The second King Report on Corporate Governance, King II addresses HIV/Aids as part of section 4 dealing with sustainable reporting. The report recommends that directors should: 1. Ensure that they understand the social and economic impact that HIV/Aids will have on business activities. 2. Adopt an appropriate strategy, plan and policies to address and manage the potential impact of HIV/Aids on business activities. 3. Regularly monitor and measure performance using established indicators. 4. Report on all the above to stakeholders on a regular basis. As the HIV/Aids epidemic continues to be one of South Africa's major challenges, the business environment is also increasingly being affected by the disease. Business needs to address the risks posed by the disease and develop appropriate response strategies to survive the impact of HIV/Aids. Stakeholder groups have a vested interest in being informed about these risks and responses.