Representatives of member companies elected to serve as Jamaica Council on HIV/AIDS (JaBCHA) officers for the year 2008/09 at the council's first annual general meeting, held at the Cable and Wireless head office, in St Andrew, yesterday. From left are Coleen Holness (LASCO), Mary Dick (Gleaner Company), Brenda Cuthbert (COK Cooperative Credit Union), first vice-chairman of the council; Rhys Campbell (Carreras Ltd), second vice-chairman; Audrey Basanta-Henry (Guardian Life) and Jennifer Anderson (Capital and Credit Financial Group). - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer

The Jamaica Council on HIV/AIDS (JaBCHA), whose mission is to eradicate HIV & AIDS-related stigma and discrimination at the workplace, held its first annual general meeting yesterday at the Cable & Wireless head office in St Andrew.

Council manager, Patricia Donald, presented the management report of the 25-member council, chaired by Phil Green of Cable and Wireless.

At the meeting, the Best Practices Guide for HIV/AIDS in the workplace was launched and the organisations with which the council partnered to facilitate the production of this manual, including the main sponsors, USAID and National Commercial Bank Foundation, were presented with copies of the guide.

All member companies present, along with associations and agencies working to reduce the HIV/AIDS prevalence in Jamaica, were also presented with copies of the manual.

New council members

In addition to those already serving in the capacities of first and second vice-chairperson as well as secretary, new member companies were elected to serve the council.

Among them are The Gleaner Company, represented by Mary Dick; Capital and Credit Financial Group, represented by Jennifer Anderson; LASCO, represented by Coleen Holness, and Guardian Life, repre-sented by Audrey Basanta-Henry.

Member companies were presented with certificates of membership and were urged to display them proudly and do all they can to convert their HIV/AIDS workplace policies into active programmes as this is a sure way to help reduce the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in Jamaica.