World AIDS day 2015

Overview

World AIDS Day takes place on 1 December and provides a major opportunity for communities, organisations and individuals from the international community to tackle the issue of HIV/AIDS head on.

It’s a topic that has been front-of-mind at Anglo American for many years: Since 2002, we have provided free HIV testing and treatment to all employees.

And recently, the world has committed to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. As a supporting company, we are joining this call to help change the future forever.

To reach this goal, the joint United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has set specific targets to achieve. Three of these specify that by 2020:

90% of the world’s population should know their status.

90% of people infected with HIV should receive antiretroviral treatment.

90% of those on treatment should show undetectable levels of the virus (viral suppression).

A key way to help reach these targets is education – and for Anglo American, we can make the most impact in the communities local to our operations.

Helping in communities

In areas local to our operations, we partner with NGOS and governments to support sexual health education for our employees and their families.

For example, in Brazil, we have partnered with Reprolatina – a local NGO that focuses on sexual and reproductive health education in Latin America. Since 2010, its public awareness and education activities had reached more than 150,000 people in the communities around our operations; 23,000 employees and community members in 2015.

We also helped to establish the Bhubezi Community Health Centre – located in north-eastern South Africa – a one-stop clinic for basic healthcare, TB, and HIV/AIDS care, and comprehensive primary healthcare to over 4,000 patients.

Created in partnership with Virgin Unite, the United States government and the Ndlovu Care Group, Bhubezi also offers technical support to build capacity and strengthen the health system to 24 nearby clinics and community health centres.

These are just some of the ways that we are working to support those with HIV/AIDS. However, explore this page to discover further information on how we are working to help end the HIV/AIDS epidemic once and for all.

Help us get to an AIDS-free generation. Communication is key to prevention. Spread the word.