Business Wire - December 10, 2003

The Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Booz Allen Hamilton and the Confederation of Indian Industry issued a groundbreaking report today detailing the findings of the first ever simulation aimed at identifying critical multi-sectoral responses to the AIDS epidemic in India. The simulation, involving over 200 leaders from government, business and non-governmental organizations, found that successful prevention and targeted early actions are often the least expensive interventions, and can mitigate longer term economic, political and social costs of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in India.

"HIV/AIDS is one of the most serious threats to the economy and society of India and other developing nations, and we were proud to provide a forum for new ideas to fight this epidemic," said Booz Allen Senior Vice President Heather Burns.

Teams worked together to develop and articulate a range of novel partnerships and initiatives to fight the epidemic:

-- 53 new partnerships between public and private organizations were explored for their potential effectiveness in combating HIV/AIDS.

-- 100 new initiatives were proposed, from business-led efforts to raise awareness and increase access to treatment, to national government programs targeting high risk populations.

The decisions made by the teams were run through an integrated epidemiological and economic model to assess their impact on the potential future growth of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in India and its public health implications. The simulation found that the suggested initiatives could provide dramatic benefits:

-- Reducing projected HIV/AIDS prevalence, incidence and mortality by over 50%

-- Cutting simulated losses in India's GDP by $31.5 Billion and discretionary spending by $9.2 billion

Key conclusions from the simulation included:

-- Clearly defined strategic priorities are critical, given the enormous resource and infrastructure constraints in India

-- Governments have a responsibility to dramatically increase funding and rapidly mobilize resources

-- Broad collaboration between and within sectors is needed to unleash new sources of energy and new ideas

-- The expertise of the business sector can and must be used to improve the reach and effectiveness of HIV programs

-- Co-investment partnerships between sectors should be used to scale up existing initiatives

-- Leaders in the private and public sectors must speak out publicly and commit the time and energy necessary to drive effective action across sectors

Director-General of the Confederation of Indian Industry, Mr. Tarun Das said, "There is a clear need and opportunity for business to supplement government efforts to fight HIV/AIDS. Business associations have a very large role to play. I urge leaders to engage and enlist the support of business associations in their own country and around the world to tackle this epidemic."

Ratan Tata, Chairman, Indian Business Trust for HIV/AIDS and Chairman, TataSons praised the creativity of the participants and their heightened level of commitment to the HIV/AIDS issue. He noted critical need for new initiatives and new partnerships in India to fight this epidemic.

Shivesh Sinha, Chief Financial Officer, Lafarge India, said, "As a result of the October events and in line with Lafarge Group HIV/AIDS Guidelines, Lafarge India is currently working on how to tackle this issue in India. The emphasis, initially, will be to increase the awareness and prevention of AIDS in and around our plants."

"Public/private partnerships have a critical role to play in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic in India and internationally. Through this unique process, the Simulation allowed us to assess the future impact of our decisions. We must now work to implement successful partnerships on the ground to prevent future deaths and improve the lives of those living with HIV/AIDS," said Trevor Neilson, Executive Director of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS.

The report concludes the "AIDS Epidemic Strategic Simulation", which took place in New Delhi, October 11-13th, 2003 as part of an international Conclave on Accelerating the Business Response to HIV/AIDS, hosted by GBC and CII. The global management consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton conducted the Simulation designed to encourage government and the business community to explore innovative ideas and practical steps to address the spread of HIV/AIDS in India. Participants analyzed the economic, social and human impact of HIV/AIDS and the competing needs of the various stakeholders.

Looking forward based on the success with India, the Global Business Coalition and Booz Allen will be supporting other countries as they address this human epidemic as it reaches the tipping point in the next year (i.e. China, Russia). This ability to facilitate and overcome barriers to action through private and public partnership will define the battlefield to fight this war.

To receive a copy of the summary report, please contact Priya Bery at pbery@businessfightsaids.org.

Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GBC)

The GBC is a rapidly expanding alliance of over 126 international businesses - with over 4 million employees in 178 countries - dedicated to combating the AIDS epidemic through the business sector's unique skills and expertise. For more information, please visit the GBC website on www.businessfightsaids.org, the leading global resource of company AIDS programs and hub of information relevant to business concerned about AIDS.

Booz Allen Hamilton

Booz Allen Hamilton has been at the forefront of management consulting for businesses and governments for more than 85 years. Booz Allen combines strategy with technology and insight with action, working with clients to deliver results today that endure tomorrow. With 13,000 employees on six continents, the firm generates annual sales of $2.2 billion. Booz Allen provides services in strategy, organization, operations, systems, and technology to the world's leading corporations, government and other public agencies, emerging growth companies, and institutions.

To learn more about the firm, visit the Booz Allen Web site at www.boozallen.com. To learn more about the best ideas in business, visit www.strategy-business.com, the Web site for strategy+business, a quarterly journal sponsored by Booz Allen.

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)

CII is a national organization servicing and representing Indian Industry. Its principal objective is to provide information, advisory and consultative services to both government and industry. With 4150 member-companies from public and private sectors, CII is represented on major policy making bodies concerned with Indian industry and is deeply involved in promoting business cooperation, internationally.

For further information and a copy of the report, please contact:

Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS

Barbara Hofner

+1-212-846 5630

bhofner@businessfightsaids.org

1515 Broadway, 45th Floor

New York, NY 10036

Tel +1-212-846-5893; Fax +1-212-846-1939

www.businessfightsaids.org

-------------------

Booz Allen Hamilton

Michael Bulger

+1-212-551-6724

bulger_michael@bah.com

8283 Greensboro Drive

McLean, VA 22102

Tel 1-703-902-5000; Fax 1-703-902-3333

www.boozallen.com

--------------------------------

Confederation of Indian Industry

Shefali Chaturvedi

+91-11 2 462 9994

shefali@ciionline.org

23, Institutional Area

Lodi Road, New Delhi 110 003

Tel: +91 11 2 462 9994; Fax: +91 11 2 462 6149

www.ciionline.org

CONTACT:

Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS: Barbara Hofner, 212-846 5630

or

Booz Allen Hamilton: Michael Bulger, 212-551-6724

or

Confederation of Indian Industry: Shefali Chaturvedi, +91-11 2 462 9994

SOURCE: Booz Allen Hamilton

031210
BW031202

Copyright © 2003 - Business Wire. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Business Wire, Permissions Desk, Business Wire, 1185 Avenue of the Americas, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10036; Tel: (212) 575-8822; FAX: (212) 575-1854. http://www.businesswire.com.

AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Elton John AIDS Foundation, iMetrikus, Inc., John M. Lloyd Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2003. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 2003. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .