BMW joins private sector to fight against HIV/AIDS

The German car manufacturer BMW has opened a HIV/AIDS clinic in Pretoria. The facility has the capacity to serve between 4.000 and 5.000 patients a month and is situated near a township where at least 17 percent of BMW's 3.000 employees live. It will also offer AIDS education and counselling. According to local group managing director Wolfgang Stadler, one could not expect government to do everything alone in that country. Many private initiatives brought the topic to the fore.
An estimated 5.3 million South Africans are living with HIV/AIDS, putting companies under increasing pressure to help keep workers free from HIV infection and provide treatment for those living with the virus. (Rts)