core sector communique

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM ANNOUNCES TRANSITION OF INDIA BUSINESS ALLIANCE TO THE CONFEDERATION OF INDIAN INDUSTRY (CII)

• Confederation of Indian Industry to take over lead of the India Business Alliance
• India Business Alliance champions the involvement of the business sector in TB care and control

New Delhi, India, 7 November 2009 – Ahead of the India Economic Summit, the World Economic Forum announced today the transition of leadership of the India Business Alliance (IBA) to the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The IBA was developed by the World Economic Forum and its Partners to increase the involvement of the business sector in the care and control of tuberculosis (TB) – a disease that kills approximately 1,000 people a day in India, and costs businesses approximately 100 million productive workdays annually.

“We are delighted to see the natural transition of the leadership of the India Business Alliance to our Indian Partner and one of the co-founders of the Alliance, the Confederation of India Industry,” said Olivier Raynaud, Senior Director, Global Health and Healthcare Sector, World Economic Forum.

“With its extensive network of member companies and effective convening abilities, the Confederation of Indian Industry is ideally positioned to further enhance the business sector response to TB, and make a difference to the lives of individuals, families and communities in which they operate, as well as to businesses and the national economy,” said Shaloo Puri, Head, India Business Alliance and Adviser, Global Health and Healthcare Sector, World Economic Forum.

The CII will take over the leadership and coordination of business sector efforts towards TB care and control, building on the momentum the IBA has gained from its current partners – businesses, NGOs, international organizations and the public sector. The World Economic Forum will share the relevant knowledge and tools for the IBA with the CII, while continuing to provide mentoring and strategic advice.

“CII has been committed to social development since 1995, when it took up initiatives in public health especially for HIV and TB. The journey of the last 14 years has seen CII along with its members extend services for TB beyond the workplace into the community. It is indeed a great moment for CII to take over the local leadership of IBA, further strengthening the long partnership with the World Economic Forum,” said Indrani Kar, Senior Director and Head, Development Initiatives, Confederation of Indian Industry.

The business case to fight TB is clear; TB affects the most productive age group in society, resulting in social pain and economic loss to businesses, communities and countries. According to government figures, TB costs Indian society more than US$ 3 billion, while 100 million productive workdays are estimated to be lost due to TB illness, contributing to a decline in worker productivity on the order of US$ 13 billion annually. Yet, TB is curable and, with the active involvement of business, the problem can be managed, at the workplace and in the community.

About the India Business Alliance
The India Business Alliance (IBA) was set up in 2004 by the World Economic Forum to increase the involvement of the business sector in TB care and control. Through its innovative public-private partnership model, the IBA has focused on mobilizing companies to educate, test, treat and support company employees and their dependents, and to raise public awareness of the growing public health threat of TB. In partnership with the CII, the Indian Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Stop TB Partnership, the Alliance is estimated to have reached nearly five million people, including the workforce and their dependents and community, through interventions of the member companies and NGO partners towards TB care and control.

Over the years, the IBA has brought together a number of organizations and leveraged their core competencies, resources and knowledge in the fight against TB. By using a combination of workplace and community programmes, the IBA members have provided critical diagnosis and treatment to those in need. A wealth of tools and best practices are available to help companies initiate TB care and control activities in collaboration with the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) and other partners. The TB Workplace Awareness Toolkit, developed by the World Economic Forum with support from the Lilly MDR-TB Partnership and in partnership with the International Council of Nurses, is an important awareness-building toolkit, focusing on TB, including the multi-drug resistant forms of the disease.

About TB in India
Each year, about 1.7 million people die from TB globally. It is estimated that 9.1 million people are infected with TB across the globe, killing 5,000 people every day. India has more new tuberculosis cases annually than any other country, ranking first among the 22 high-burden TB countries worldwide, according to the WHO Global TB Report 2009. TB is one of the leading causes of death – more than 300,000 deaths and the numbers continue to grow – with 1.96 million new TB cases reported, including 130,000 cases of the multi-drug resistant form in 2007. Extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB was first reported in India in July 2007. The problem is exacerbated by its link to HIV/AIDS – there is a 50-60% lifetime risk of developing TB in HIV positive individuals, while 5% of TB patients are estimated to be HIV positive. Almost 70% of TB patients are between the ages of 15 and 54; Two-thirds of the cases are male. TB takes a disproportionately larger toll on young females, with more than 50% of cases in women occurring before the age of 34. Additionally, there is a social cost – more than 300,000 children are forced to leave school because their parents have TB, and more than 100,000 women with TB are rejected by their families. Studies suggest that, on average, three to four months of work time is lost due to TB, resulting in an average potential loss of 20-30% of annual household income. This leads to an increased debt burden, particularly for the poor and marginalized sections of the population. Yet, the disease continues to ravage the country.

About the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme
The Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP), part of the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is based on the DOTS strategy. After accomplishing broad coverage of India under DOTS, RNTCP has widened the scope for providing standardized, good quality treatment and diagnostic services to all TB patients in a patient-friendly environment, and is steadily working towards achieving the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals related to TB by 2015. With the recognition of the significant roles that various health sectors could play in TB control, RNTCP has been actively seeking collaborations, which has resulted in many unique and successful models of public-private mix in TB care and control. RNTCP is supportive of companies expressing an interest in getting involved in TB care and control activities.   

About the Confederation of Indian Industry

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry led and managed organization, which plays a proactive role in India’s development process. Founded over 114 years ago, it is India’s premier business association, with a direct membership of over 7,800 organizations from the private and public sectors, including SMEs and MNCs, and an indirect membership of over 90,000 companies from around 385 national and regional sectoral associations. It works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the growth of industry in India, partnering industry and government through advisory and consultative processes.