SAAVI news releases
18 May 2004

World AIDS Vaccine Awareness Day

Implats to fund HIV/AIDS vaccine development

'Part of Implats' commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS'

Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd - Implats - through its Impala Community Development Trust is to fund the South African AIDS Vaccine Initiative (SAAVI) to the tune of 2,5 million Rands over five years. This funding for HIV vaccine development is part of Implats' commitment towards the fight against this epidemic.

The company recognises the heavy burden that HIV poses to South Africa - to its employees and their families, to business and the country as a whole - and therefore the urgent need for additional, effective prevention methods. During 2001 Implats commissioned a study to measure the impact of HIV/AIDS on the company and discovered that if all the relevant costs are considered, Implats could incur an additional cost of R86 million per year in 2011 due to HIV/AIDS. Halving the rate of new infections would reduce the estimated cost to R46 million.

"Implats has already had considerable success in reducing the rate of new infections amongst employees through the education and treatment programmes which we have been running jointly with our union colleagues, and in collaboration with local communities. Although the costs to the company will be considerably lower than the initial estimates suggested it is clear that businesses in South Africa will also have to invest in initiatives aimed at the development of long-term prevention and control measures such as SAAVI,” said Implats General Manager, Medical Services, Dr Jon Andrews.

"This contribution to SAAVI is welcomed," said Dr Tim Tucker, Director of SAAVI. "Developing and testing an HIV/AIDS vaccine is an expensive and long-term endeavour. SAAVI's current budget is in the region of R70 million per annum. This will have to increase substantially - by many times - to meet ongoing and future commitments and to run multiple clinical trials aimed at isolating which approaches are likely to be most successful."

"SAAVI was created as a unique public-private partnership and we look to business in South Africa to support this important initiative in an ongoing and lasting way," he continued.

The funding will be used to finance a component of SAAVI's complex and multifaceted range of activities extending from basic laboratory research to develop new test vaccines, to running ethically sound clinical trials, research into the epidemiological, actuarial, socio-behavioural, ethics and human rights aspects of vaccine development, and extensive community preparedness activities.

Implats has been involved in educational activities around HIV/AIDS among its workforce and surrounding communities since the early 1990s.

Implats is a leading global producer of platinum. South Africa is the world's largest producer of platinum, currently producing 4,7 million ounces (70% of world supply). Implats produces 36% of this or 1,7 million ounces.

SAAVI was established in 1999 by the South African government and Eskom (the southern African electricity supplier) in a unique public-private partnership to co-ordinate the research, development and testing of HIV/AIDS vaccines in South Africa. SAAVI is a national body housed at the South African Medical Research Council (MRC). SAAVI works and collaborates with key national and international partners, with the aim of producing an affordable, effective and locally relevant HIV/AIDS vaccine for southern Africa.

For further details, contact:

SAAVI
Dr Tim Tucker
SAAVI Director
Tel: +27 (0) 21 938 0262, e-mail: saavi@mrc.ac.za

Michelle Galloway
Media and Communications Manager
Tel: +27 (0) 21 938 0205, 082 553 1149, e-mail: michelle.galloway@mrc.ac.za

SAAVI Vaccine Info-line
080 VACCINE
http://www.saavi.org.za

Impala Platinum
Dr Jon Andrews
Tel: +27 (0) 14 569 7571, e-mail: Jon.Andrews@implats.co.za