According to the “Stats SA Mid-Year Population estimates report 2015”, one in ten South Africans are living with HIV. This pandemic continues to dominate the modern healthcare agenda and demands an internationally unified approach.
It is interesting to note, however, that according to this report, 16.6% - the number of South Africans estimated to be HIV infected – still more than doubles the population aged 60 and older (8%). This further underscores the importance of a holistic approach to the HIV pandemic, by all stakeholders.
Anglo American recognises the important role the corporate sector, among others, can and should play in the global roadmap to end the epidemic. World Aids Day presents an opportunity to showcase Anglo American’s commitment to eradicating this disease, by joining the international community, in reflecting on the progress made thus far and amplifying our efforts to fast track ending this epidemic by 2030.
Anglo American is one of the role players that is leading the private sector in support of the 21st International AIDS Conference, which takes place in July 2016 in Durban. The conference is held every two years and is the leading global platform for sharing the latest global innovations, knowledge and strategic initiatives established to control and ultimately end the HIV pandemic. As the largest global HIV and health conference, it is expected to attract more than 20,000 delegates from academia, governments, civil society and the private sector, as well as high level global leaders, influencers, celebrities and journalists.
Dr Stefaan Van der Borght, Anglo American’s Group Head of Health will lead the Anglo American team at the conference. Anglo American will join the private sector working group, in the ideas and knowledge exchange to help find the best mix of private sector solutions moving forward and to re-energise the resolve to end this epidemic.
“In 2000, I attended the International AIDS Conference in Durban. The theme of the conference – ‘Breaking the Silence,’ introduced the need for equal access to medication and it fundamentally changed the way we tackle AIDS. It was the first AIDS conference held in Africa and it put a human face to the epidemic,” recalled Dr Van Der Borght.
“Looking back, we can say that considerable progress has been made. Many lives have been saved, and social and economic disasters have been averted. But the job is not finished yet.Next year, the world is presented with an opportunity to do it again when the International AIDS Conference returns to Durban. Anglo American will be at the table as part of the private sector reference group, working to be part of the solution and to ensure all relevant stakeholder voices are heard”, he said.
Dr Van der Borght joined Anglo American this year as Group Head of Health to lead on health matters for the company’s global operations, including its HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programmes, which includes the world’s largest voluntary testing and counselling programme run by a private company.
Dr Van der Borght explains, “We continue to partner with government on a number of developmental initiatives and we are proud to once more demonstrate the benefits of this partnership as we draw closer to the 2016 International AIDS conference. We aim to illustrate the strength of the private sector as a trusted partner and with a proven track record as a committed wellness enabler and champion, in the many communities within which we operate, in the battle against HIV and AIDS.
”The basis of Anglo American’s HIV/AIDS response lies in its human rights based HIV/AIDS policy, which was first published in the early 1990s. This policy ensures that where discrimination against any employee living with HIV emerges, not only is a policy in place and enforced to ensure that it is dealt with swiftly but more importantly that the stigma associated with HIV and AIDS is eliminated. It also respects the individual’s right to confidentiality as a core value in the company’s HIV/AIDS response and tackles gender issues which have traditionally resulted in women and youth bearing a disproportionate share of the burden of HIV.
In line with this year’s World Aids Day theme; on the fast track to end AIDS, Anglo American aims to support the fight against HIV/AIDS by aiming to stop new HIV infections.
“Through our annual voluntary counselling and testing campaigns we are able to detect and monitor the HIV infection rate amongst our Southern African workforce of approximately 70,000 employees. While the figures show a declining trend, we believe that one new infection is one too many. We remain committed to achieving a new HIV infection rate of zero,” says, Dr Stefaan Van der Borght.
In South Africa in 2014, 86% of our employees participated in HIV testing and 67% of HIV infected employees are on ART treatment. Anglo American has fully integrated its tuberculosis (TB) control initiatives with its HIV programmes. Through this the company continues to strive to reduce deaths from TB through earlier HIV and TB diagnosis and treatment.
In an effort to support health in developing countries more broadly, Anglo American remains one of the key global private-sector champions of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria and continues to be a significant donor to Southern African HIV and TB programmes.
“We hope the conversation will go beyond the policy experts discussing issues in an ivory tower,” says Van der Borght. “We want everybody’s voice to be heard.” For this reason, Anglo American is partnering with Business and Arts South Africa to launch an art competition that will stimulate more conversations and raise awareness of the epidemic in the lead up to and beyond the conference.