With the world marking World AIDS Day on 1st December, around 6.4 million people in South Africa are living with HIV.
With the world marking World AIDS Day on 1st December, around 6.4 million people in South Africa are living with HIV. While it is encouraging to see that more than 2 million South Africans are receiving treatment for HIV infections and AIDS, it is worrying that infections increased from 10.6% in 2008 to 12.3% in 2012 according to the HIV Household Survey conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council. In contrast, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS has decreased worldwide.
Khanyisile Kweyama, executive director of Anglo American in South Africa said;
“We are inspired by the political leadership in South Africa and would like to pay particular tribute to the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, who campaigns tirelessly to improve our response to both HIV and TB. Anglo American strongly supports the efforts of the Minister and his department in their campaign for the people of South Africa.”
For Anglo American, which employs over 97,000 people in South Africa of whom 13% are living with the disease as of December 2011, the implications of the pandemic run high. This is why Anglo American runs the world's largest private sector voluntary counselling, testing and treatment programme for HIV/AIDS and TB for employees and their families, which was also extended to its contract employees last year.
Experts believe that regular testing and starting treatment much earlier is the key to combatting the spread of infection. To achieve this, the international private sector is being urged to take the lead in demonstrating its commitment to combating the fight against HIV/AIDS. “We know that investment in HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment delivers tangible results,” explains Dr Brink, Anglo American’s Chief Medical Officer, vice-chair of the Audit and Ethics Committee of the Global Fund and a leading authority on the business response to HIV/AIDS and TB.
The company’s New Vaal operation in the Free State province employees over 1,700 people of which 32.5% are living with HIV. However, the progress is encouraging. Between 2012 and 2013, 90 percent of them had participated in HIV testing and New Vaal has achieved UNAIDS’ ‘3 Zeros’: zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths throughout this year.
Dr Brink says that this achievement mirrors global trends in infection decline and further notes that it is through investment and partnership that HIV infections can be stopped.
“The downturn in new infections globally was largely due to increased global investment in the HIV/AIDS response from both PEPFAR (the US President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief) and the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.
“The biggest investment has been in treatment and one of the most fundamental changes we have seen in recent years is that HIV itself is being treated rather than waiting for people to develop AIDS. HIV treatment now is simpler and less toxic, so starting treatment even earlier could make a significant difference. Studies have conclusively shown that earlier treatment leads to a dramatic reduction in the number of new HIV infections, the primary reason being that HIV infected people receiving treatment are very unlikely to pass the infection on.”
“We urge all major South African companies to join forces and make an investment to help end HIV/AIDS across South Africa,” says Khanyisile Kweyama, executive director of Anglo American in South Africa. “We know it can be done – we are starting to see results – but we need more support to reach our end goal of zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero deaths from HIV.”
*Source - UNAIDS
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