Mining giant AngloGold is rolling out a comprehensive AIDS reporting tool, using a new R12 million healthcare information system from healthcare IT company Meditech SA.
AngloGold uses the system to analyse the impact of AIDS on healthcare costs, giving drill-down information on disease profiles and medical and facilities usage, enabling the mining group to estimate the cost impact of AIDS and allowing it to project future cost impacts.
AngloGold is reported to be one of only a handful of companies in the world piloting the comprehensive AIDS reporting tool, which has been drafted by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), an organisation empowered at the recent World Summit on Sustainable Development to develop a set of reporting standards for all sustainability issues, including AIDS.
Dr Petra Kruger, manager of the HIV AIDS programme at AngloGold, says it is also possible that the JSE Securities Exchange could make use of the GRI guidelines. This follows a recent announcement by the exchange and the SA Institute of Chartered Accountants that listed companies will be required to factor the cost of AIDS into their financial statements.
If successful, it will mean that this country will be the first to have a disclosure requirement related to AIDS costs for listed companies.
Kruger says the AIDS programme is not just about calculating the costs of AIDS. "We have about 40 000 employees in our SA operations and we estimate that 25%-30% of them are HIV-positive. Our overall programme is very much aimed at preventing the spread of AIDS, as well as treating those employees who are infected through a chronic disease management programme that includes the responsible provision of anti-retrovirals, ensuring that they are used to maximum effect, thus prolonging their productive lifespans."
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