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AIDS impact on miners revealed

    JOHANNESBURG

    An estimated 30 percent of South Africa's mine workers are living with HIV/AIDS, Minerals and Energy Minister Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka told parliament on Thursday.

    Although the findings of recent HIV prevalence surveys done by individual mining companies were not readily available, the minister said it was estimated that between 20 percent and 30 percent of miners were HIV-positive.

    Mining companies employ more than 500,000 workers, or 4.3 percent of the country's workforce, and the industry has committed to implementing a plan in the second quarter of this year for the prevention, monitoring and treatment of the disease.

    Agence France-Presse quoted Mlambo-Ngcuka as saying: "HIV/AIDS remains one of the biggest challenges in the mining industry."

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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