David Jackson

Responding effectively to the HIV/Aids and tuberculosis epidemics is a challenge for companies such as gold producer AngloGold Ashanti for business and moral reasons. The burden of both diseases in the local mining industry is high. Similarly, the high incidence of malaria in the company’s Africa operations calls for effective interventions.

A multifaceted international partnership programme to combat the growing multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) pandemic is well underway, with a five-year project strategy until the end of 2011 also being developed within South Africa. In 2003, global pharmaceutical giant Lilly launched the Lilly Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Partnership project.

In a world of escalating bad news about crime, poverty, violence and ill health, one project has generated good news, provided hope and turned the tide — the Cipla Medpro Miles for Smiles Foundation. The foundation challenged two extreme athletes to participate in a radical event of their choice to capture the attention of all South Africans.