SPECIAL REPORT
maintained over more than 20 years the promise not to discriminate .
Regional Significance in South Africa For HIV infection , Southern Africa is still the most severely affected part of the world . This has particular resonance in the mining industry , which is a strong private sector player in the region , and particularly for Anglo American , whose historical roots in the continent continue to this day . We are operating in the midst of a society that is still suffering from HIV and where new cases are still occurring . Fortunately , fewer people are dying from HIV than before , and more and more people have access to treatment . At the same time , the number of new cases continues unabated . This , frankly , is unacceptable , when we are more than 30 years into the epidemic . This only reinforces why , for miners , this cause should be one of our paramount causes . If we hone in on HIV / AIDS treatment and prevention , we will benefit the industry as well as have , perhaps , the greatest possible impact on regional health . We should bring the
new infections down , assure that people start treatment immediately and continue the treatment for the rest of their lives . But the first step is getting tested . If we can demonstrate that this is possible , it will encourage others to take bold steps to reach the same goals .
In the early 1990s , the HIV prevalence in the mining industry in South Africa was around 1 percent but by 2000 , this number had
36 December 2016