Newmont Mining Corporation

Washington, DC

The Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GBC) recently recognized Newmont Ghana with its 2010 GBC Business Excellence Award: Workplace for combating HIV/AIDS, TB and/or malaria through a comprehensive, workforce-focused program.

The GBC works to close gaps and increasing its impact in the fight against HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria. It makes global health action smarter by joining the corporate sector, governments and civil society together in a common cause.

The prestigious awards ceremony – attended by top-tier government, corporate, donor and nongovernmental organization partners – was held June 8 in Washington, D.C.

The operation's HIV/AIDS program, launched in 2005, includes voluntary counseling and testing services that consist of blood pressure and blood sugar tests. This has led to a steady increase of testing from 172 in 2007 to 440 in 2009. The company also distributes an average of 72,000 condoms to employees and contractors each year.

Additionally, Newmont Ghana's peer educator initiative trained about 100 handpicked employees and contractors, who educate about 10,000 people annually about malaria and HIV/AIDS prevention.

Newmont Ghana also introduced an integrated malaria control program at all its operational sites in 2007 to reduce the risk and incidence of malaria. The program includes:

• Information and education about malaria prevention.
• Accurately diagnosing and treating malaria according to the Ghana Health Service and World Health Organization protocols.
• A control program that breaks malaria transmission by:
· Eliminating mosquito breeding sites through environmental management.
· Using environmentally friendly biological larvicide.
· Spraying indoors using long-lasting, insecticide-treated nets and repellents.

The program was extended to local communities through a range of community-based activities – from annual malaria quiz competitions for schools, the distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets and training local health personnel. The operation also equipped its laboratories with necessary diagnostic tools and supplies.

To date, the program has prevented fatalities, and only two medical evacuations have occurred since 2007. The average monthly incidence has dropped from 8 percent in 2006 to 1.7 percent in 2009, which prevented 18,378 man days from being lost.

Congratulations to the Newmont Ghana team for implementing this industry leading program.

June 1, 2010