A South African software maker came up with a way of tallying the economic cost of AIDS. Now the program is being marketed worldwide.
Businesses battling to stem the economic devastation being wrought by the AIDS epidemic in South Africa are turning to a computer program that helps predict the costs of hiring employees with HIV.

Using the AIDS Impact Calculator created by Lifeworks, South African company, employers can determine likely increases in costs of recruitment and training, and disability benefits.

Some businesses are facing 17 to 20 percent increases in payroll costs just to provide life and disability insurance to workers, Dr Jack van Niftrik, managing director of Lifeworks told Newsweek. The program uses data collected by managers to calculate projected AIDS prevalence by geographic location, occupation and educational level or salary, then calculates the likely cost increases. It also enables managers to plan and implement the medical management of staff who fall victim to AIDS. The program’s popularity is spreading fast – the World Bank, UNICEF and Thai Business Council have all approached Lifeworks –  and it will be marketed worldwide in 2001.