Etisalat joins pledge to create workplace awareness on HIV

Etisalat Lanka recently joined the pledge for workplace awareness on HIV/AIDS, an initiative conducted by the Lanka Business Coalition on HIV and AIDS (LBCH) and Reckitt Benckiser that began on 30 January 2013, reaching out to many corporates in Colombo by asking them to pledge.

Commenting on the initiative, Etisalat Lanka Director/CEO Dumindra Ratnayaka said: “By signing this pledge, we as a corporate would like to further strengthen our commitment towards the awareness of HIV/AIDS in workplaces and attempt to fight the stigma and discrimination associated with it.

“We hope that this initiative would be the foundation in creating awareness that will also someday, reach out to our stakeholders.”

The pledge campaign launched with the participation of the Ministry of Health and other corporate leaders took to the streets the next day by reaching out to Lanka Business Coalition member corporates in Colombo.

The primary objective of the campaign is the initiation of an awareness campaign on HIV/AIDS pertaining to the workforce.

This will not only see to the increase in awareness among youth and communities closest to them. Additionally, the program also attempts to prevent the stigma and discrimination towards those with HIV/AIDS.

Speaking on the objective highlighted by the initiative, Etisalat Lanka Human Resources Head Srinath Fonseka remarked: “HIV/AIDS is a disease that is not spoken of openly. Hence, even when awareness on the matter has to be generated it becomes a difficult task as most people are uncomfortable with the topic to voluntarily agree to speak on it.

“Hence, this initiative taken by LBCH is a timely one, especially in the event of the rapidly increasing number of those contracting the virus.”

The pledge campaign float that arrived at Etisalat Head Office on 08 February, made its last stop on 11 February 2013, thus marking the completion to the first phase towards not only awareness generation on HIV/AIDS but perhaps also the eradication of the virus from Sri Lanka.