ICMM - International Council on Mining & Metals

NEWS

01.12.08
World AIDS Day - ICMM members combat the disease and the stigma

Many of the world’s largest mining companies are engaged in individual initiatives and partnerships designed to combat HIV/AIDS, from providing for employee testing to community peer educator programs and from providing workplace and family treatment plans to funding cutting-edge research.

ICMM President Tony Hodge said: “A number of mining companies have shown leadership on the need to tackle HIV/AIDS. Mining has an important role to play in ensuring that the epidemic is brought under control, and that people can live and work with HIV and without stigma”.

ICMM recently launched a Good Practice Guidance on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, a disease management tool aimed at mine site managers and health practitioners, in recognition of the fact that the mining and metals industry is in a strong position to influence the course of these diseases, since it works in regions where they constitute a serious problem. The business case for doing so is strong, centred round employee well-being and positive financial impacts for companies.

World Gold Council has today launched a report, “Safeguarding Workplace and Community Health”, which highlights the efforts of four of its member companies - also ICMM members - against the disease across Africa and Asia. This report references the new ICMM Good Practice Guidance.

Four ICMM members have joined over 100 companies in signing a memorandum of understanding with the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria for World AIDS day: a non-discrimination pledge to end stigma attached to HIV/AIDS in the workplace. Other member companies have ongoing engagements with the Global Business Coalition to combat HIV/AIDS.

Supporting materials:

·        ICMM Good Practice Guidance on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: http://www.icmm.com/hiv

·         World Gold Council “Safeguarding Workplace and Community Health”: Full report

·        Case study 1: http://www.icmm.com/page/2412/our-work/case-studies/articles/member-companies-support-leading-research-for-hiv/aids-vaccine

·        Case study 2: http://www.icmm.com/page/11475/our-work/case-studies/articles/know-your-status-hiv/aids-campaign-anglo-coal-