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Anglo American leads G20 Business Summit call for corporate healthcare action in developing economies

11 November, 2010

Cynthia Carroll pledges $3 million and calls for companies to match that commitment

Anglo American has today pledged $3 million of funding at the G20 Business Summit in Seoul in support of increasing access to healthcare in developing economies.

Cynthia Carroll, Chief Executive of Anglo American, has called on fellow participants of the G20 Business Summit to join the company in pledging $1 million per year for the next three years in order to help meet the very significant healthcare challenges in developing economies. This innovative approach builds on the company’s longstanding global leadership in HIV/AIDS and TB prevention, testing, treatment, care and support.

Cynthia Carroll, Chief Executive of Anglo American, commented:

“I am delighted to lead this initiative with Yasuchika Hasegawa and Takeda Pharmaceutical. Anglo American has a deep understanding of the clear business case for investment in health to promote economic growth in developing economies. We call upon the business community of the G20 to help meet this health challenge by providing the investment required to strengthen healthcare systems in developing countries in order to increase access to better quality healthcare.

“Building upon our already extensive work in the field of HIV/AIDS and TB, we have pledged $3 million of funding over the next three years to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and ask our fellow G20 Business Summit participants to match that commitment. We hope that such action will also act as a catalyst for further similar investments from large companies around the world. Together we can make a real and lasting difference.”

The G20 Business Summit is an unprecedented cooperative effort between the public and private sectors and sees many of the world’s top CEOs engaging in discussion with state leaders ahead of the G20 meeting in Seoul. Anglo American’s Cynthia Carroll is co-convening a panel at the Business Summit, addressing the issue of ‘Increasing access to healthcare in developing economies’.

The G20 Business Summit will host 112 global businesses, representing an asset value of $30 trillion and annual sales of $4 trillion. It is therefore hoped that the call to action will result in approximately $300 million being pledged over the next three years to help tackle the developing world’s healthcare challenges.

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Notes to editors

Further information about Anglo American’s health programmes

  • In 2002, Anglo American was the first major employer to begin offering free antiretroviral treatment to all its employees and, in December 2008, Anglo American extended this benefit to employees’ direct dependants.  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 whole family.
  • Anglo American’s world-leading HIV/AIDS response, providing the largest free HIV and AIDS workplace and voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) programme, has been held up as best practice by the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
  • Anglo American’s 2009 international employee HIV/AIDS campaign detailed the company’s response in the areas of eliminating the stigma and discrimination related to the disease. The programme also focuses on preventing new infections, the provision of care and confidential support for employees and their dependants infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS, and managing and mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS on operations.  In so doing, Anglo American is making a positive contribution towards minimising the social, economic and developmental consequences of the epidemic.
  • Workplace programmes are in place at all Group operations and business units, with activity particularly focused in southern Africa, where HIV prevalence figures are estimated at 18% of the region’s workforce.
  • Anglo American’s recent progress was rewarded by the Global Business Coalition (GBC) on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria at the organisation’s Business Excellence Awards in June 2009, where the company’s Thermal Coal business was recognised as having the best HIV/AIDS workplace programme in the world.
  • The GBC Awards are earned by companies that have demonstrated extraordinary commitment, action and results, and have achieved exceptional success in putting their assets to work in the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
  • Anglo American’s Thermal Coal business received the top award in the 'Workplace Category' for its holistic approach to HIV/AIDS and was commended by the judges for “its comprehensive, robust and evidence-based approach to managing HIV and AIDS in the workplace; coupled with the outstanding leadership and commitment of the company’s management and leadership team."
  • Combating HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases is one of the eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and 2010 represents an important milestone in the progress of this initiative.

About Anglo American

Anglo American plc is one of the world’s largest mining companies, is headquartered in the UK and listed on the London and Johannesburg stock exchanges. Anglo American’s portfolio of mining businesses spans precious metals and minerals – in which it is a global leader in both platinum and diamonds; base metals – copper and nickel; and bulk commodities – iron ore, metallurgical coal and thermal coal. Anglo American is committed to the highest standards of safety and responsibility across all its businesses and geographies and to making a sustainable difference in the development of the communities around its operations. The company’s mining operations and extensive pipeline of growth projects are located in southern Africa, South America, Australia, North America and Asia. www.angloamerican.com

For further information, please contact:

United Kingdom
James Wyatt-Tilby, Media Relations
Tel: +44 (0)20 7968 8759

South Africa
Pranill Ramchander, Media Relations
Tel: +27 (0)11 638 2592

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