aids takes its toll on gold miners

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COMPANY NEWS

Aids takes its toll on gold miners
October 6, 2004

"Harmony Gold, the largest producer of South African gold, estimates that Aids will kill one in three of about 41 000 workers it employs in South Africa. The HIV infection rate among the company's workforce would peak this year at 33.9 percent, Harmony said in its 2004 annual report.

AngloGold Ashanti, the world's second-largest gold producer, had an infection rate among its South African workers of 30.2 percent, said Petra Kruger, the head of the company's HIV/Aids unit.


The rate of infection among miners has placed a burden on companies as they battle falling productivity among the sick and rising medical costs for dying workers. "We still expect that the impact of HIV/Aids on our cash costs will be in the range of $2 to $5 an ounce," Harmony said.

Gold Fields has an estimated 28 percent infection rate".