Managing Infectious Disease in Mining Communities
Despite increasing attention on the gold market by consumers and investors, many gold-producing countries suffer with multiple disease epidemics. Mine workers, their families and communities struggle under the burden of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria – diseases which together represent the greatest challenge to economic development in many developing countries. A report by Resource Initiatives for the World Gold Council, “Safeguarding workplace and community health”, examines gold mining companies’ work in disease management.
The current statistics are sobering. An estimated 30 percent of gold mining workers in South Africa are HIV-positive. More than 30 percent of all Ghanaians are sick with malaria. Ninety-four million people worldwide have tuberculosis and 1.7 million die each year from the disease.
The report profiles initiatives in Ghana, South Africa, Tanzania and Indonesia, located near mines operated by the world’s four largest gold producers — AngloGold Ashanti, Barrick Gold Corporation, Gold Fields Limited and Newmont Mining Corporation – companies selected because of their scale and ability to make a significant difference in this battle. The report was presented at the Stop TB Partners Forum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
