The Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GBC) announced an unprecedented collection of corporations vowing to not discriminate against employees with HIV/AIDS. The World AIDS Day announcement surpassed the GBC's initial goals in numbers and will have a profound impact on HIV/AIDS in workplace programs.

Well over 100 CEO's today are making a collective pledge today to protect workers with HIV/AIDS. The Wall Street Journal has donated a full page ad to highlight this major announcement. Such companies as Chevron, Exxon Mobil, The Gap and Coca-Cola have joined this impressive effort . Over five million employees around the globe will now be protected by tough anti-discrimination provisions in their places of employment. The new regulations are all-encompassing including hiring, promotions and access to medical coverage. Never before have so many corporations, with a stroke of a pen, ended discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS at one time.

The impact of these new policies will particularly be felt in countries whose governments have never protected people with HIV/AIDS. For them, this is a major step forward in ending the stigma of living with the disease.

John Tedstrom, who is Executive Director of GBC, said:

"We're fighting AIDS for more than a quarter century and the amount of stigma and discrimination around the virus is still overwhelming and unacceptable. Stigma keeps people from being tested and knowing their status, which means they can't adequately take care of themselves or protect their partners. Our Coalition is taking a stand and these leading CEOs are saying "enough". Together on this World AIDS Day they are guaranteeing the basic human rights of their employees around the world and are making a huge step in our common fight against AIDS,"