Paris, France — Alcan highlighted its efforts to prevent and combat HIV/AIDS in Africa today at the First European CEO Summit on Business and HIV/AIDS, organized by the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS. The Company presented the positive results of its HIV/AIDS program at its Alucam primary aluminum smelter in Cameroon during a roundtable discussion on the potential partnerships between governments and companies in supporting health care systems in countries with high HIV/AIDS case rates.
"As part of its commitment to sustainability, Alcan has begun to extend the HIV/AIDS program started at the Alucam smelter in Cameroon to other facilities around the world," said Gaston Ouellet, Senior Vice President, Alcan Inc. and President, Alcan France. "Our hope is that other companies will be able to benefit from our experiences in preventing and combating HIV/AIDS in developing countries," he added.
More than 150 business leaders, from the mining and automotive industry to the food and beauty industries, will be meeting at the International Conference Center, 19 av Kleber in Paris to discuss the HIV/AIDS issue. The Summit’s objective is to expand the involvement of global business in preventing HIV/AIDS through an open exchange of ideas between approximately 40 of Europe’s leading CEOs.
"Efforts to fight HIV/AIDS at Alucam have resulted in a remarkable reduction in the HIV infection rate at the smelter and in the local community," said Dr. Bruno Buclez, Health Director for Alcan’s Bauxite and Alumina and Primary Metal groups in Europe and Africa. “For employees and their families, the prevalence rate has decreased from close to 14 percent in 1998 to 3 percent today,” he added.
Launched in 1995, Alucam’s HIV/AIDS program is also available to neighboring populations through a partnership with the Cameroon government. Approximately 200 people have taken advantage of the program to date.
Alucam’s program has also been recognized by the United Nations Global Compact as a model for combating HIV/AIDS in an industrial community. This model is currently being deployed at Alcan mining operations in Ghana. It is also a reference for the anti-HIV/AIDS approach at the Company’s proposed Coega aluminum smelter in South Africa.
On the heels of the U.N. recognition, Alcan decided to share its expertise and join the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GBC), a network of 220 multinational companies, including close to 80 in Europe, created to mobilize and support companies in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Alcan Inc. (NYSE, TSX: AL) is a leading global materials company, delivering high quality products and services worldwide. With world-class technology and operations in bauxite mining, alumina processing, primary metal smelting, power generation, aluminum fabrication, engineered solutions as well as flexible and specialty packaging, today’s Alcan is well positioned to meet and exceed its customers’ needs. Alcan is represented by 65,000 employees in 61 countries and regions, and posted revenues of US$20.3 billion in 2005. The Company has featured on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index consecutively since 2003. For more information, please visit: www.alcan.com.
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