06 December 2002
	Statistics NUMBERS, TESTS AND DONATIONS By Jack Lundin

An actuarial study has estimated that 15,3% of Sasol's 26 000-strong workforce is HIV-positive and infections will rise to 17,5% in 2007 if prevention programmes fail to make a difference. Now Sasol has invested R4m in a "major initiative" to beef up existing interventions. About 21 000 of Sasol's employees, and their 41 000 beneficiaries, have access to antiretrovirals through the company's medical aid scheme (SasolMed). But 5 000 workers at Sasol Mining are not covered. They get primary health care at the company mine hospital, but no antiretrovirals. Old Mutual has launched an adopt-an-orphan scheme. Employees can contribute R50/month to adopt an Aids child. Old Mutual Foundation matches this and the R100/month goes to Heartbeat, the charity administering the care programmes. So far, staff have adopted 313 orphans from four areas. Old Mutual MD Roddy Sparks has taken on 10 orphans (he already has three children of his own). "Heartbeat organises photographs to be sent to the donors and the orphans can write letters," says Sparks. "But we're not encouraging employees to strike up deep relationships. Heartbeat wants to keep the amounts flowing to the orphans relatively equal. They don't want individual orphans to be endowed with all sorts of fancy presents." BP estimates that 20% of its 3 000 employees in Southern Africa are HIV-positive. It pays R1 500/month for each infected worker. This includes antiretrovirals, testing for viral loads, support and group work. Medication is extended to spouses and children. Homosexual partnerships are recognised and receive all benefits. In the community, BP has pumped R10m into Soul City, the Aids awareness TV programme that attracts 20m young viewers in the 16-35 age group. Multinational BIC employs 250 workers in SA. In voluntary anonymous testing (95% of staff agreed to participate) 27 tested HIV-positive. BIC then asked staff to come forward for voluntary but non-anonymous testing. Forty responded, 13 of whom tested HIV-positive. Three of them are receiving free antiretroviral treatment, costing R1 500/month each.