Press Group of Companies commemorates World Aids Day
Press Group of Companies on Tuesday commemorated the World Aids Day with a call for members of staff to go for HIV testing so that if
diagnosed positive, they should start treatment and remain productive.
The commemorations took place in Blantyre under the theme ‘Getting to zero; Healthy life, Healthy group!’
Group Operations Executive Pius Mulipa said the commemoration was aimed at raising awareness on the pandemic, as all its subsidiaries have been affected.
“This disease hurts business by taking away good managers, good junior employees, it has affected the output of employees through absenteeism due to sickness or that of a family member and attending to funerals.
“All these factors are worthy putting up strategic efforts aimed at interrupting their effects,” said Mulipa.
He said Press Group of Companies through its Press Clinic provides free HIV testing and counselling services as well as ART treatment to
members of staff and members of their immediate families.
“We want more employees to come forward to get tested because we have observed that some are shy and this is why we have also invited their spouses so that together they get the message and be encouraged,” he added.
Press Group of Companies comprises 12 subsidiaries which include Telecom Network Malawi (TNM), PressCane Limited, National Bank of Malawi, Press properties Limited, Peoples Trading Centre Limited and Carlsberg Malawi.
In his remarks, Stuart Chuka, national ART coordinator for the business sector working with the Malawi Business Coalition Against HIV
and Aids said he was impressed with the strides the coalition is making in coordinating HIV/Aids response in the private sector.
“We started with 15 companies in 2005 and we are happy that we are now at 140 which shows that companies are responding very well to the initiatives aimed at fighting the HIV and AIDS pandemic,” said Chuka.
He however bemoaned that most people in the productive age shun HIV testing which he said is negatively affecting Malawi’s economy.
Malawi is one of the countries that has integrated the UNAIDS 90-90-90 goals as part of its National Strategic Plan.
The plan seeks to identify 90 percent of all people living with HIV, put 90 percent of them on lifelong treatment and keep the virus suppressed in 90 percent of them to contain the spread of the virus to others.
