HIV/AIDS and Malaria

Information pertaining to HIV/AIDS and malaria - the primary public health threats facing the company - is relevant to the Africa operations only. While HIV/AIDS is a significant challenge in South Africa, it is less so in the other African operations, as the East and West African general populations have far lower prevalence levels than in southern Africa. The labour intensive nature of mining in South Africa is another reason why this pandemic is critical to South African mining operations. It is for this reason that the focus of the HIV/AIDS programme has been South Africa. The statistics and information reported in this section relate primarily to the South Africa region. Where information pertains to other regions, this has been specifically stated.

The threat of a malaria is one that has the greatest impact in the Ghana, Mali, Guinea and Tanzania regions. No consolidated information is available as many of these programmes, and particularly the gathering of information, are in their infancy.

HIV/AIDS

• Based on best available information, including surveys, antenatal data, and extrapolation from comparable reference groups, AngloGold Ashanti estimates a 2004 HIV prevalence rate of 30.24% amongst its South African workforce. In 2003, this was estimated to be 29.95%.
• 4,248 cases of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) were treated by AngloGold Health Service during the year, a decrease of 23% on the number recorded in 2003. STI rates can be used as a proxy for unprotected sex.
• 4071 visits were recorded at AngloGold Ashanti's voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) centres in 2004, an increase of 25% on those recorded in 2003.
• 935 employees were registered for the first time with the AngloGold Ashanti wellness programme during 2004, compared with 834 in 2003.
• 315 employees were enrolled in the anti-retroviral therapy (ART) programme in 2004, a decrease of 41% from 2003, bringing the cumulative total of employees started on ART to 849.
• Expenditure related to chronic disease management of HIV-infected employees (including the provision of ART), voluntary counselling and testing, home-based care for terminally ill ex-employees, the personnel managing the company HIV-programme, and some programme-related research, monitoring and evaluation, amounted to $2.28 million or R14.62 million in 2004*.

*	This excludes awareness campaigns and peer education conducted on-mine, or the HIV-component of mine-based induction programmes and excludes hospitalisation costs for AIDS-related illnesses.

Malaria

• Malaria remains the most significant public health threat for AngloGold Ashanti's operations in Ghana, Mali, Guinea and Tanzania. A means of measuring the impact of malaria on the group has been introduced, namely a Malaria Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (MLTIFR). Measured per million man hours, this is similar to the safety and health indicators of Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate. At Geita, the MLTIFR is estimated at 130 per million man hours, and at Morila in Mali, it is estimated at 167. The data for the Sadiola/Yatela operations is incomplete and cannot be represented as an MLTIFR figure.

Cumulative no. employees started on ART - SA region

Annual enrolment number of Wellness Clinic patients (1999 to 2004) SA region