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After a brief description of the major Danish political discussions on the AIDS problem, the basic steps in setting up a major informational activity as the AIDS campaign are described. A number of positive and negative lessons have been learned, which can be used in health education and health promotion in general. The most important are: It is possible to achieve changes in awareness, knowledge and attitudes by adopting the methods of modern marketing to the special needs and demands of health education and health promotion. Behavioural changes can be achieved by supplementary activities with a direct approach and dialogue. However, it is a long and difficult process and continuous and consistent plans including resource allocation for at least two to three years have to be made ‐ and kept to. Close co‐operation between central and local initiatives is necessary and sufficient attention should be given to establishing and securing the organisation, the co‐operative network, the distribution of material etc. Certain groups of health personnel, the press and local personalities are crucial to the effect of the campaign. Special information and motivation of these groups early in the programme is necessary. Finally attention should be paid to the prevention of general problems in health education and health promotion: the short attention span of the public, together with the fact that long lasting results do not occur for years, so that the need to continue the effort seems to disappear ‐ as do the resources.

The challenge of dealing with qualitative data is becoming ever more important for development organisations, as they strive to reflect critically on both their own practice and the work of others. They are under growing pressure to account for their actions to donors, to demonstrate their impact and to provide evidence as the basis for their policy decisions. This pressure arises from donors, states, the media and from the communities among whom they work.

The purpose of this paper is to explore opinions of health workers on priorities and challenges of the HIV/AIDS commodities management system in Abuja, Nigeria. The results from this research are to inform future guideline revisions on the management of these commodities, in order to produce the most efficient and cost‐effective approach.

A qualitative research was conducted from a social constructionist perspective. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 12 health workers, comprising pharmacists, laboratory scientists and logisticians involved in HIV/AIDS commodity management in Abuja, Nigeria. Views and experiences of these workers were explored on HIV/AIDS commodity management through in‐depth interviews, to ascertain challenges of the current system and needed interventions. The data were subjected to thematic content analysis.

Results of the study include the need for coordinated and integrated health commodity management system, sustainable human resource and infrastructure development and an effective data management system to address current challenges.

The data collection approach did not provide an opportunity for idea exchange and review in a focused group and the number of respondents was limited to 12 due to time constraints. However, the respondents were experts in the field.

Government needs to commit financial resources to support of the health supply chain to ensure sustainability beyond donor support. Donors should change their strategy of “quick fix” approach to health supply chain challenges, as these often result in Government laxity in addressing public health needs.

The paper provides insight into areas on which the Government of Nigeria should focus attention in health supply chain strategy, which is currently perceived as not coordinated.

Effective communication is a key factor in presenting Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) awareness and prevention campaigns, and delivering treatment programmes, particularly in South Africa where different ethnic groups and a diversity of languages and educational attainment levels are encountered. Language is an important element of such communication. The purpose of this paper is to examine the communication effectiveness of AIDS-related intervention messages.

Case-based semi-structured interviews, with 42 employees from three construction organisations, and with six telephone counsellors from a service provider, were used to explore language in the HIV/AIDS context in the construction industry in the Western Cape region.

Workers’ knowledge about HIV (a key element in prevention and willingness to engage in treatment regimes) tended to align with their level of education. African cultures may inhibit the use of plain language about AIDS. Graphic posters with text in different languages were the most preferred communication media, but need periodic refreshment to remain effective. For toolbox talks and other company presentations, a comprehensive approach to language differences is limited, and appropriate confirmatory feedback loops are not used – the message sent is not always the message received. The recruitment and training processes for service provider counsellors ensure a more comprehensive grasp of HIV knowledge and a more consistent approach to communication.

Construction organisations should be more careful in their HIV/AIDS campaigns and programmes, ensure better targeting of audiences and pay more nuanced and sensitive attention to language needs, gender differences and cultural contexts with respect to communicating with workers in ways that engage them more fully about HIV/AIDS, stigma and disclosure.

Communication effectiveness is pivotal in the provision of intervention management by construction firms. Ineffective language and communication processes directly and adversely influence HIV/AIDS intervention management success.

Despite the overall impact the AIDS epidemic has had on US business and society, few articles have been published in academic journals on hospitality management. Presents a brief review of the literature and summarizes the current state of the US hospitality industry and its response to the AIDS challenge. Suggests that a combination of ongoing employee education programmes, in conjunction with a comprehensive policy statement, may be the most effective means of preparing an organization to deal with employees with AIDS. Makes recommendations for the implementation of these programmes appropriate to the hospitality environment.

HIV/AIDS has implications of varying severity across a wide spectrum of businesses in South Africa. Financial accountability is therefore required to enable investors and other stakeholders to be advised regarding the effect of HIV/AIDS on company performance and to make informed decisions. This paper explores financial accountability with regard to HIV/AIDS. It investigates top management’s awareness, coping strategies and financial information (available and required) that is communicated internally and to stakeholders. Its empirical content concentrates on major public companies that operate in industries in which HIV/AIDS is known to be present. It reveals that companies are informed and pragmatic. However, many do not engage in legally permissible prevalence testing, and thereby frustrates attempts at a clear definition of the problem and at forecasting. Most companies are therefore unable to project what the effect of HIV/AIDS on future performance and profitability will be. The paper concludes that, although HIV/AIDS receives attention in terms of corporate governance, there is an absence of financial accountability via annual reports and financial statements. Many companies have no information available, while others may elect not to disclose it.

Since first identified in June 1981, 315,390 cases of AIDS have been reported in the United States and 194,354 Americans have died of the disease, as of 30 June 1993. Worldwide, 718,894 cases of AIDS have been reported and 13 million people are believed to be infected with the HIV (AIDS‐causing) virus. Since autumn 1988, the authors have conducted five independent studies to determine US organizations′ response to AIDS in the workplace. Reviews those and similar studies conducted by others, summarizes their findings, and offers suggestions to practising managers worldwide for dealing with AIDS in the workplace.

Organizational structures are changing. Hardly a surprising statement ‐ the world in which organizations exist is changing. Old barriers are coming down and new barriers are going up. Knowledge is increasing at a rate which can only be described as staggering ‐ overwhelming almost, but not quite. Because organizations are changing.

Since the early 1990s, various countries have introduced HIV prevention programmes in prisons. Such programmes include education on HIV/AIDS, HCV and on drug use for prisoners and for staff, voluntary testing and counselling, the distribution of condoms, bleach, and needles and syringes, and substitution therapy for injecting drug users. Other forms of drug‐dependence treatment, as well as drug demand reduction and drug supply reduction measures may also be relevant to managing HIV/AIDS and HCV in prisons, and may facilitate HIV prevention measures ‐ or have unintended negative consequences for such measures. Prison systems in a growing number of countries are implementing such programmes. However, many of them are small in scale and restricted to a few prisons. Provision of care and treatment for people living with HIV or AIDS has become a priority worldwide, and it is considered to be a basic human right. This includes the provision of antiretroviral therapy (ARV) in the context of comprehensive HIV/AIDS care. Providing access to ARV for those in need in the context of correctional facilities is a challenge, but it is necessary and feasible. Studies have documented that, when provided with care and access to medications, prisoners respond well to ARV. Part 3 of the select annotated bibliography on HIV/AIDS and HCV in prisons contains selected “essential” articles and reports that provide information about (1) substitution treatment and other forms of drug‐dependence treatment; (2) other drug demand and drug supply reduction measures; and (3) care, treatment, and support for prisoners living with HIVor AIDS and/or HCV. Each section also contains a brief review of the evidence, based on recent work undertaken by the World Health Organization (WHO).