The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Friday brought together corporate leaders, NGOs, donors and a host of AIDS care organizations for a meet on "accelerating business response to HIV/AIDS".

The daylong conference here was inaugurated by Tamil Nadu Health minister Thalavai Sundaram.

The topics discussed at the conference included: role of business leaders to take on the challenge of HIV/AIDS, ways to increase integrated care and treatment through private-public partnership, opportunities for such partnerships and role of international funding agencies.

Among the speakers were S.Y. Quereshi, special secretary and director general, National AIDS Control Organisation, chief mentor of CII and managing trustee of Indian Business Trust (IBT) Tarun Das, US Embassy's charge de affairs Robert O. Blake, WHO's Medical Officer (HIV care) Po Lin Chan and Michel Lavolly, senior adviser, Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.

The Indian Business Trust for HIV/AIDS was established by the CII in 2000 to bring into focus HIV/AIDS to the Indian industry and for a forum to respond to the disease that affects 5.1 million Indians.

Das outlined the CII-IBT joint response in which a HIV/AIDS code for industry has been framed which includes "development of a workplace policy for industry and workplace protocol".

"Two thousand corporate houses are being persuaded by the CII-IBT to implement the policy, which includes awareness, screening, assessment and treatment," he said.

Speaking on the corporate social responsibility when it meets enlightened self-interest, Lavollay said a proposal is being processed which will require $1.5 billion from the Global Fund.

"While private foundations and the private sector both have a seat on the GF board, contributions are marginal", Lavollay said.

IBT also has a programme to train healthcare professions to deal with HIV positive cases and provide anti-retroviral treatment. Already 330 doctors and 300 nurses in 13 cities of the country have been trained under this programme, CII officials said.

The HIV/AIDS policy for Indian industry, chalked out by CII-IBT urges companies to provide safe work environments, educate employees on HIV/AIDS threats, educate about safe blood donation and transfusion.

"While a company may conduct a medical test before offering a job, this will not include an HIV/AIDS test, without the consent of the candidate," the policy says