Gildan’s HIV/AIDS Prevention Activities Recognized With Building a Better World Award
The Honduran Private Enterprise Council , Global Communities and Tegucigalpa Sur Rotary Club recognized Gildan with the Building a Better World award.
Gildan received the Building a Better World award for its corporate social responsibility program in support of Honduras' national focus on the prevention of HIV.
“We are proud to help address the gap in education that exists around the transmission of HIV,” said Dr. Engels, medical professional at Gildan. “Our employees are very active in participating in our prevention and awareness activities, which allows them to learn from others, show their solidarity for those suffering from HIV and ask questions through our anonymous question boxes.”
Gildan received the award for its HIV prevention and occupational health programs, its work with comprehensive care centers, HIV awareness campaigns and voluntary testing for its thousands of employees in Honduras. Gildan was one of only 3 companies to receive this award nationally.
Honduras suffers from a pandemic of HIV/AIDS, particularly in the region of Cortes which has one of the highest rates of incidence. Almost 95% of Gildan’s facilities in Honduras are in this area.
Prevention is a key priority at the national level. During the National Day for HIV awareness held in May, the Honduran government promotes solidarity walks, prevention and awareness campaigns, media campaigns and lectures at local health centers. Local HIV/AIDS organizations join the movement by increasing awareness during this time and promoting screenings.
Across all of Gildan’s sites in Honduras, employees participate in prevention campaigns every May. Its awareness campaigns include videos on Gildan TV, posters, red ribbon day, and artistic and/or educational mural competition within the facilities that are decorated with prevention messages. The clinics at the facilities spearhead these efforts, which also include partnering with Social Security for voluntary screening.
