Alucam Site's Battle Against HIV/AIDS in Edea Recognized by UN Global
Alcan Inc. (NYSE: AL , TSX: AL) is pleased to announce that its joint-venture Alucam primary aluminium smelter has been chosen to host Cameroon's World Health Day festivities today, presided over by His Excellency, Health Minister Mr. Urbain Olanguena Awono, accompanied by His Excellency, Labour And Social Security Minister Mr Robert Nkili. The festivities surround the World Health Organization's (WHO) 2005 World Health Day theme of Make every mother and child count, and the Cameroon Health Week theme of Keep one's promises : Stop HIV/AIDS.
"Alcan's commitment to the environment and employee health and safety, embodied through its EHS FIRST management system, is designed to protect the welfare of its people, and the communities in which it operates," said Cynthia Carroll, President and Chief Executive Officer, Alcan Primary Metal Group. "To be selected to host this prestigious event is a mark of recognition and encouragement from the Government of Cameroon for Alucam's work in battling serious medical issues, in particular HIV/AIDS through its TRICAM project," she added.
Alucam began implementing TRICAM in 1998 to provide employees, and later the entire Edea community, with access to high quality specialized health services. The project initially organized information sessions for several thousand people and organizations - from colleges to women's groups to subcontractors.
Through TRICAM, Alucam's efforts are aimed at preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS, among children and teenagers, and at providing therapy for HIV-positive individuals in its immediate community (employees and their families) and the surrounding community.
In 2003, approximately 12 percent of Cameroon's population was HIV-positive. Thanks to wide-scale campaigns and voluntary testing at Alucam, the HIV-positive rate in the Alucam community was under five percent the same year, and 3.5 percent today.
The program was recently singled out by the United Nations Global Compact as a model for combating HIV/AIDS in an industrial community. The 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 aluminium smelter in South Africa.
"The impact of the TRICAM program is permanent and sustainable for Alcan. The program has contained the HIV/AIDS epidemic through enhanced information and prevention efforts. It also maintains the health of HIV-positive employees by means of therapy, enabling them to lead normal lives while awaiting the development of therapeutic vaccines," said Raphael Titi Manyaka, general manager of Alucam/Socatral. "In addition to the TRICAM project, much of our efforts this year, and to a greater extent in the years ahead, will focus on the battle against malaria," he added.
The Alucam site employs 750 people and is located in Edea, in southern Cameroon. In October 2005, Alcan announced that it had signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the potential upgrade and expansion of the Alucam primary aluminium smelter to an approximate 260kt/year capacity and for the construction of a new hydroelectric power station at a total estimated cost of US$900 million.
In 2003, Alcan implemented EHS FIRST as a key component of AIMS, the Alcan Integrated Management System, which also consists of Value-Based Management and Continuous Improvement. EHS FIRST is the framework and mindset through which Alcan's commitment to putting environment, health and safety first is translated into recordable and measurable actions.
Alcan is a multinational, market-driven company and a global leader in aluminium and packaging. With world-class operations in primary aluminium, fabricated aluminium as well as flexible and specialty packaging, aerospace applications, bauxite mining and aluminia processing, today's Alcan is well positioned to meet and exceed its customers' needs for innovative solutions and service. Alcan employs almost 70,000 people and has operating facilities in 55 countries and regions.
"Alcan's commitment to the environment and employee health and safety, embodied through its EHS FIRST management system, is designed to protect the welfare of its people, and the communities in which it operates," said Cynthia Carroll, President and Chief Executive Officer, Alcan Primary Metal Group. "To be selected to host this prestigious event is a mark of recognition and encouragement from the Government of Cameroon for Alucam's work in battling serious medical issues, in particular HIV/AIDS through its TRICAM project," she added.
Alucam began implementing TRICAM in 1998 to provide employees, and later the entire Edea community, with access to high quality specialized health services. The project initially organized information sessions for several thousand people and organizations - from colleges to women's groups to subcontractors.
Through TRICAM, Alucam's efforts are aimed at preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS, among children and teenagers, and at providing therapy for HIV-positive individuals in its immediate community (employees and their families) and the surrounding community.
In 2003, approximately 12 percent of Cameroon's population was HIV-positive. Thanks to wide-scale campaigns and voluntary testing at Alucam, the HIV-positive rate in the Alucam community was under five percent the same year, and 3.5 percent today.
The program was recently singled out by the United Nations Global Compact as a model for combating HIV/AIDS in an industrial community. The 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 aluminium smelter in South Africa.
"The impact of the TRICAM program is permanent and sustainable for Alcan. The program has contained the HIV/AIDS epidemic through enhanced information and prevention efforts. It also maintains the health of HIV-positive employees by means of therapy, enabling them to lead normal lives while awaiting the development of therapeutic vaccines," said Raphael Titi Manyaka, general manager of Alucam/Socatral. "In addition to the TRICAM project, much of our efforts this year, and to a greater extent in the years ahead, will focus on the battle against malaria," he added.
The Alucam site employs 750 people and is located in Edea, in southern Cameroon. In October 2005, Alcan announced that it had signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the potential upgrade and expansion of the Alucam primary aluminium smelter to an approximate 260kt/year capacity and for the construction of a new hydroelectric power station at a total estimated cost of US$900 million.
In 2003, Alcan implemented EHS FIRST as a key component of AIMS, the Alcan Integrated Management System, which also consists of Value-Based Management and Continuous Improvement. EHS FIRST is the framework and mindset through which Alcan's commitment to putting environment, health and safety first is translated into recordable and measurable actions.
Alcan is a multinational, market-driven company and a global leader in aluminium and packaging. With world-class operations in primary aluminium, fabricated aluminium as well as flexible and specialty packaging, aerospace applications, bauxite mining and aluminia processing, today's Alcan is well positioned to meet and exceed its customers' needs for innovative solutions and service. Alcan employs almost 70,000 people and has operating facilities in 55 countries and regions.
posted by Dr Philippe Maslo at 17:13
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