How Standard Chartered tackles HIV and AIDS

It's the reason they've dedicated almost 15 years to helping teach people how to combat the disease through their Living with HIV programme.

It's why they've gone from educating their own employees in the worst affected pockets of Africa in 1999, to touching more than one million people worldwide by 2013.

And it's why they've teamed up with Liverpool FC for a week's worth of action which seeks to continue to disperse their educational messages to those who need to hear it.

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"Standard Chartered's Living with HIV programme was started in the late 90s, at a time when AIDS was wiping out a generation," explained Jeanette McKenna, Head of Seeing is Believing and Health.

"We knew we needed to act, because in the countries where Standard Chartered operated, the epidemic was literally on our doorstep. After launching a workplace education programme in Africa, we rolled the programme out globally in 2003.

"Then, in 2006, we decided to share our educational tools further with our stakeholders in the community."

To help circulate their educational messages, Standard Chartered uses a network of their own specially trained employees, called 'Living with HIV Champions', who conduct face-to-face awareness sessions, while striving to lessen the stigma around HIV and AIDS.

Now, Standard Chartered have opened up their campaign to reach millions more via the launch of a fantastic, informative new e-Booklet.

Produced in partnership with the international HIV charity, AVERT, the booklet takes people on a journey around the world and poses different HIV-related scenarios. It helps dispel common myths and misconceptions about HIV and aims to encourage informed conversations around HIV and AIDS.

"HIV can affect anybody," said Jeanette. "We want everybody to think about this, not just on World AIDS Day, but all year round."

The e-Booklet is just one of a number of features which have been implemented to coincide with Standard Chartered's week-long World AIDS Day campaign, in partnership with Liverpool FC.

On Sunday, December 1, the club's first-team squad assembled at Melwood to help build a special red ribbon on the goal-nets to highlight their support for the initiative.

During the Reds' clash against Norwich on Wednesday night, the iconic AIDS ribbon will be projected onto Anfield Stadium and Liverpool's players will warm up in special t-shirts to help spread the message further.

"One challenge that surrounds HIV and AIDS is that of breaking down the barriers and making it easier for people to be able to talk about it," said Jeanette.

"So for people to know that the Liverpool players are supportive and that their Reds heroes are behind the campaign is really important. I would like to congratulate Liverpool and the players for standing alongside us in this campaign.

"Their support is hugely important. As Standard Chartered is Liverpool's global sponsor, it's vital that we partner the Club on campaigns such as this one."

This is not the first time Standard Chartered and Liverpool have teamed up on important community initiatives.

"Last year, we unfurled the world's largest AIDS ribbon on the pitch at Anfield on World AIDS Day, which was a huge success in terms of raising awareness and getting people to talk about it," said Jeanette.

"So from our side, having Liverpool join forces with us to tackle these issues is vital."

To go hand-in-hand with the HIV e-Booklet, Standard Chartered are offering fans the chance to win an ultimate weekend for two with Liverpool FC as they learn the important facts about HIV and AIDS. To enter the Facebook competition now, click here.

To read and share the e-Booklet, click here, and for further information please follow Standard Chartered at www.facebook.com/standardchartered and on Twitter @StanChart.