Success Stories: NICON Hilton, Abuja, Nigeria
HIV/AIDS: Nicon Hilton Gives Free Anti-Retroviral Drugs
This Day (Lagos)
NEWS
August 4, 2005
Posted to the web August 5, 2005
By Kunle Aderinokun
Abuja
NICON Hilton Hotel, Abuja has said it would supply free of charge, anti-retroviral drugs to its members of staff that have tested positive to HIV/AIDS amongst others to enable them normal and productive life. This, the hotel said, is part of its Workplace Policy on HIV/AIDS.
Launching the Hotel's Workplace Policy on HIV/AIDS in Abuja, its General Manager, Mr. Andre Herrenschmidt said "any team member who comes forward and is HIV/AIDS positive would be given retroviral drugs free of charge."
He noted that the gesture was part of Hilton International's policy at combating the dreaded disease worldwide. He asked all staff to freely go out for screening , assuring that no staff will be sacked as a result of his or her HIV/AIDS status.
"The launch of the HIV/AIDS Workplace Policy is to announce especially the support measures that we would do for the people who are HIV/AIDS positive. We would encourage our staff who have tested positive to HIV/AIDS to come forward. There would be no discrimination whatsoever against those that have HIV/AIDS. On the contrary, I am announcing to you that anybody that comes forward would receive the retroviral drugs free of charge. This is not limited to Nicon Hilton Abuja, it is Hilton Worldwide. This issue of AIDS is not a Nigerian issue; it is a global issue affects all countries in the world and we are doing this initiative in all our Hilton worldwide," he said.
Herrenschmidt explained that, "Our corporate aim through this drive is to adequately advocate and sensitize both members and management on HIV AIDS ; its consequences and prevention . It is also to provide treatment for those team members living with HIV AIDS and support them in order to work together as a team. I believe this is a step forward in minimizing stigmatisation and discrimination in the workplace."
He added that, "it is our objective that every single team member in the hotel is well enlightened and a high company wide level of awareness created.
To this end , we have already made progress through the provision of condoms for team members , general sensitisation training for the whole of the team members ; selection and training of peer educators for counselling purposes who will be presented with certificates today and the establishment of a working committee on HIV AIDS for a continuous awareness to be created through notice boards by means of literature , posters and quarterly health talk programme to team members."
In his remarks, Director - General, National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA), Prof. Babatunde Oshotemehin commended the initiative of NICON Hilton Hotel and called on other private sector organisations to emulate it, in the fight against HIV/AIDS.