“Most Zambians feel matters of sex are best discussed in bedrooms,” said Shapi Shacinda, the Reuters correspondent in Lusaka. This leaves young Zambians uninformed and gives rise to popular misconceptions. Research by the U.S. group Population Services International found that many young Zambian males believe sorcery causes infections and that women can shed the disease during menstruation. Visible victims of hiv/aids are ostracized. All of which makes Zambia State Insurance Company’s initiatives all the more striking.

Meleki said her company had to start its program, first, by educating managers and, secondly, by helping employees improve their knowledge. If workers did not admit to the disease, they would not sign up for the free antiretroviral drugs that the company was providing through a private clinic. And unless they understood how the disease was spread, they would not take advantage of the free condoms.

Meleki is reluctant to provide much detail on the number of employees treated, the overall cost to the company, or whether the program has resulted in an improvement in the company’s bottom line. She will say that they are expecting only one employee to die of the disease in 2004. As she puts it, “expenses on death claims have improved.”