OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Tuesday
SOUTH African mining giant Anglo American is planning to provide treatment to all employees in southern Africa with HIV or Aids – about 20% of its workforce – an Anglo executive said on Monday.
Anglo American and associated companies employ about 160_000 people in the region.
The South African Chamber of Business (SACOB) is meanwhile co-ordinating an initiative for companies to make HIV-Aids treatment readily available to their employees, its HIV-Aids policy consultant said on Monday.
The South African government, although winning a court case against drug companies recently which will allow it to import cheap drugs, does not provide anti-retroviral drugs on public health, on the grounds that even generic drugs are too expensive and that toxicity is a problem.
Brian Brink, Anglo American senior vice president (medical), said: ”We have adopted a strategic approach to dealing with HIV-Aids. On the one hand is prevention and on the other side is a programme of care to people with HIV, including appropriate, sustainable antiretroviral therapy.”
But Brink warned there were several obstacles to overcome before implementing the programme, including the cost of drugs and ensuring proper adherence to antiretroviral therapy.
”Affordability is a big issue but the price of drugs has come down dramatically and at this stage, on balance, is in the realm of feasibility,” he said.
Brink said Anglo has consulted multinational pharmaceuticals and generic producers, like Cipla in India, about securing drugs.
He said Anglo was still developing its position on pricing, protocols for treatment and plans for implementation.
National Union of Mineworkers representative George Molebatsi said Monday that the union needed concrete information on Anglo’s proposal before it could respond to it.
”We need to know what they are talking about in real terms,” he said.
In South Africa an estimated 4.7 million people – one in nine – are HIV-positive.
Chamber of commerce consultant Brian Wasmuth said: ”We’re involved in an HIV-Aids project with a number of partners that is at an advanced stage … involving medical intervention.”
SACOB’s plan, at an advanced stage, makes provision for medical intervention, education and counselling, assurance for life and disability and community support, Wasmuth said.
Under the scheme 170 existing healthcare outlets would make affordable drugs available to those with HIV-Aids, if businesses were able to raise the capital, he said.
”This venture needs to be a commercial venture. The drugs will be acquired through the normal purchasing arrangements and we cannot provide them for nothing,” Wasmuth cautioned. – AFP
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