11 November 2010
Anglo American leads G20 Business Summit call for corporate healthcare action in developing economies
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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