Peer educators at Rustenburg Mine provide HIV/AIDS awareness trainingWith over 33 million people now living with HIV/AIDS, fighting the disease has become an international priority; with governments, the United Nations, non-governmental organisations and global businesses all taking action to raise awareness and reduce infection.
Although there is still no cure, breakthroughs in medicine have allowed the disease to be managed more effectively, giving sufferers every opportunity to lead productive, normal lives. Anglo American recognises the importance of such groundbreaking medical care and long ago took the stance to be one of the most active corporate protagonists in the ongoing fight against HIV/AIDS.
Our progress
With our global workforce, we are acutely aware of the gravity and implications of this pandemic. From South Africa to the United Kingdom, our priority has been to remove the fear, stigma and discrimination associated with the disease, and the continuing rise in the number of employees taking part in our voluntary HIV-testing programme suggest we are achieving this aim.
In 2002 we made the pioneering decision to make available free antiretroviral treatment (ART) to all our employees. It was a momentous step for us and throughout the corporate world and, as such, our response is now recognised as the world’s largest HIV/AIDS workplace testing programme.
Comprehensive approach
Ensuring each of our employees know their HIV/AIDS status is at the heart of our response – thus, our focus continues to be on early diagnosis and subsequent access to ART. Complementing this, at the business units and corporate offices, we have a well-established and robust system of post-testing compulsory counselling, coupled with intensive HIV-prevention campaigns.
In 2008, we began the ambitious process of extending our HIV prevention, care support and treatment programme to dependants of employees. This decision was based largely on the understanding that HIV/AIDS cannot be effectively managed when only one family member receives care for a disease that affects the entire family.
Leading global businesses
We believe that investing in healthcare in our host communities – particularly those in developing countries – not only provides a significant broader societal benefit, but is also important for achieving our longer term business goals.
In November 2010, at the G20 Business Summit, we pledged $3 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria over three years, in order to meet healthcare challenges in developing economies. But perhaps more significantly, we are at the vanguard of this initiative and asking the other 112 global businesses associated with the G20 to follow our lead – an action that could result in over $300 million being pledged.
In July 2011, we pledged $3 million over three years to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations (GAVI), a public/private partnership that is increasing access to immunisation in the world’s poorest countries. The UK government has also committed to matching our funding for the initiative.
Ours is a comprehensive approach, recognised by many international bodies as best practice, but there is still a long way to go.