Connecting Through Crisis
The theme of AIDS 2022 –re-engaging and following the science– resonates deeply with me because it reflects our efforts within Chevron. This year is about getting back to our Health & Medical base business. Our workforces are returning; my teams have been staffing our clinics, continuing to advocate for preventive health, advising worldwide travelers and executing fit-for-duty processes. We are energizing around our interest in the communities where we operate as we seek to strengthen health systems and advocate for equitable access to tools, interventions and platforms for capacity building, health surveillance, diagnosis and treatment.
Four decades ago, Chevron began to see the effect HIV and AIDS was having on our employees and community. In 1986, we joined 13 other California Bay Area companies to promote HIV and AIDS education in the workplace. Now globally, we continue monitoring and supporting solutions to public health threats across our operations and in local communities.
Over the past two years, the challenges presented by the pandemic forced us to shift our focus and adapt quickly to dynamic and unpredictable circumstances. We entered the crisis with a robust response infrastructure, from earthquakes in our home state of California to hurricanes and other extreme events impacting our global operations. While the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated circumstances are unprecedented on many fronts, we utilized our experience and preparation to execute an effective emergency response.
Now we must leverage these latest experiences as we re-engage on responding effectively to the HIV and AIDS epidemic. This begins with acknowledging the importance of evidence-based scientific learnings and approaches. Our industry is built on science and engineering, and our approach to the health of our workforce and the communities where we operate is no different.
