Page 26 - 25 Reasons

A generation

free of HIV

Anglo American is making steady progress in realising the vision of an HIV-free generation
PHOTO: LEON SADIKI
The joint UN programme on HIV/Aids hopes to end the worldwide

epidemic by 2030. Anglo American’s diamond business is part of

this vision and is making progress, writes Biénne Huisman

n our lifetime, we could see the first Plague, journalist Jonny Steinberg wrote that successes – for example, 89% of employees at
HIV-free generation. So says UNAids, 2.1 million people died of Aids-related illnesses the De Beers Group voluntarily tested for HIV
which hopes to end the worldwide in sub-Saharan Africa in 2006. He added that last year – the battle is still far from won.
epidemic by 2030. nearly 6 million of South Africa’s population of Last year, the De Beers Group reported 58
Anglo American’s diamond business, 46 million – that’s more than one in eight new incidents of HIV infections. In the same
IDe Beers Group, has announced its people – were HIV positive at the time. year, five employees in southern Africa died
support of this global HIV-free vision. Since then, the fight against HIV and Aids due to HIV-related illnesses.
In South Africa, and particularly in the has gained momentum in South Africa and In September 2018, the company consulted
country’s mining industry, the Aids epidemic around the world – and Anglo American’s employees about the creation of an HIV-free
has killed millions of young men. diamond business, De Beers Group, has organisation. The employees said their concerns
In 1996, respected Aids activist Mark pledged to play its part. included stigma, confidentiality, discrimination
Heywood wrote that “mine workers in South The company has mines in Botswana, and a fear of losing their jobs.
Africa are now more at risk of contracting HIV Canada, Namibia and South Africa, and These are not new issues. Dr Tshepo Sedibe,
than of being in a mining accident”. employs more than 20 000 people – 11 000 of the senior occupational health manager at the
At the time, Heywood noted how personnel whom work in southern Africa. De Beers Group, says the company is working
at one Johannesburg mine – the now defunct It has set targets to achieve zero employee hard to address them.
Gencor – estimated that 20% of its employees HIV deaths, zero new HIV infections and zero Sedibe notes the extent of the problem: “The
were HIV-positive, and that 30 workers were associated stigma by 2030, in line with the South African mining industry exists in one of
dying of Aids each month. goals put forward by UNAids. the most highly burdened regions in the world
In his award-winning book Three-Letter And while the group has had remarkable with regard to HIV. The death rate related to
26 ANGLO AMERICAN 25 REASONS TO BELIEVE