Barrick Gold Corporation has more than halved the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate among the mine's workforce and surrounding communities from 3.3 per cent in 2018 to 1.5 per cent, last year.

At the same time, new HIV infections have decreased from 16 per cent in 2018 to 10 per cent in 2021 while the rate for all sexually transmitted infections has gone down from 4.78 per cent in 2017 to 2.95 per cent in 2021.

Presenting these improvements to the Tanzanian Parliamentary Standing Committee on HIV/AIDS, which visited the mine last week to discuss the company's HIV and Tuberculosis (TB) interventions, North Mara General Manager, Apolinary Lyambiko, said the group's HIV/AIDS programme is focused on raising awareness, encouraging safe sex and promoting Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCTs).

"To this effect, Barrick has a comprehensive HIV/AIDS workplace policy, regularly engages with the District Medical Officer (DMO) and NGOs on its VCT campaigns, distributes free condoms as well as educational brochures, flyers and t-shirts, provided frequent medical check-ups and conducts air quality and other occupational hygiene monitoring," he added.

Community-wise, Barrick has initiated several awareness campaigns in conjunction with the DMO including two World Aids Day commemorations in 2020 and 2021 and a two-week campaign in 2021.

In total, over 4,800 VCTs were conducted, 1,000 units of blood were collected, 1,800 HIV Rapid Test Kits were donated, 134 circumcisions were carried out, 164 cervical cancer screens were done and thousands of condoms, T-shirts, and awareness brochures have been handed out.

Lyambiko said that diseases like TB and HIV hampered the social and economic development of the company's host communities and had the potential to negatively impact its operations.

"Working to reduce and eliminate these diseases from our communities is therefore not only an important part of our community health strategy but also delivers benefits to the business," he said.

Copyright Tanzania Daily News. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com)., source News Service English