Morning Briefing

The Guardian profiles Brian Brink, chief medical officer at Anglo American, South Africa's largest private-sector employer, and the company's efforts to treat and prevent HIV among its employees. According to the newspaper, "HIV affects 12,000 of its employees, or 16 percent of its 70,000-strong permanent staff." The Guardian continues, "For Anglo, a healthy workforce is a more loyal and productive one," which is why it offers HIV testing and treatment free-of-charge to employees, runs HIV prevention programs, and promotes gender equality. "Not only is it a moral imperative to get on top of the AIDS problem, it's also good for business, and the wider South African economy. The prevalence of AIDS and HIV [the virus that leads to AIDS] probably lops one percent off the country's GDP," Brink said (11/3).