LONDON, United-Kingdom,** December 13, 2012/*– *In
a drive to get Africa one step closer to zero new HIV infections, zero
AIDS-related deaths and zero discrimination, global agri business Olam (
http://olamonline.com), along with NGO partners such as GIZ, EngenderHealth
and Action Health Incorporated, has mobilised its supply chain network this
month to get vital education and healthcare support to nearly a quarter of
a million rural Africans in support of the UN’s World AIDS Day ‘Getting to
Zero’ (1st December 2012).
Operating in 24 African countries, Olam works with 3.4 million small scale
farmers, as well as their communities, sourcing and processing products
such as cocoa, cashew, cotton and rice. Recognising the extensive
logistical and platform benefits that it can provide for disseminating
HIV/AIDS education and advice, Olam is supporting ten long-term healthcare
programmes currently in development in Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Tanzania,
Gabon, Congo, Ghana and Cameroon. These encompass comprehensive HIV
interventions for employees, farmers and community members. In addition, 26
HIV/AIDS events were held this year to raise awareness on prevention,
treatment, voluntary testing and counselling. To deliver the 2012
strategy, the financial commitment to this vital challenge by Olam and its
partners was $468,000. This is the fifth year of major support for HIV/AIDS
by the business. ****
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*2012 initiatives include:*
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*Tanzania – impacting the lives of women*
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As well as supporting peer educators to raise awareness of HIV prevention,
care and treatment, Olam is partnering with GIZ and EngenderHealth to meet
the complex healthcare needs associated with HIV/AIDS by educating the
3,500 women workers employed in the Mtwara cashew factory. ****
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“The head of our delegation found particularly commendable the commitment
of Olam management to the health of its work force. I would like to express
our special appreciation for Olam’s efforts to implement its workplace
program. Olam is not only providing information to its workers on health
promotion… but also enabling them to access primary health care services by
enrolling all workers in the Community Health Fund.” ****
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Inge Baumgarten, Head of the Tanzanian German Program to Support Health,
German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Tanzania****
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*Côte d’Ivoire – health caravan*
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In the cotton growing areas of Côte d’Ivoire, efforts include voluntary
testing and counselling, free medical consultation by qualified medical
professionals, and awareness raising on prevention and treatment.
Education for other major diseases impacting the villages such as malaria,
diarrhoea, typhoid and pneumonia is also offered. The project will reach
2,800 beneficiaries in eight rural areas of northern Côte d’Ivoire where
Olam is present. Once a month, a health caravan will visit one of the
operational areas. ****
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*Nigeria – targeting students in the fight against HIV and AIDS*
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To support Nigeria’s national effort to target key sub-populations
including young people, Olam Nigeria, in collaboration with Action Health
International and Living Hope, has established a community focused campaign
to prevent new HIV infections among young people. The programme mobilises
young people as community change agents for development in the Osun State,
challenging them to put into action information on prevention and care to
support the global effort of ‘Getting to Zero’.****
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“The benefits of the collaboration between Action Health Incorporated,
Living Hope Care, Ore Agbe Ilesha Cocoa farmers and OLAM Nigeria to
commemorate the World AIDS Day with the Irepodun High School students and
the cocoa farmers cannot be over emphasised. The event was very successful
as it contributed to the national response of reducing new HIV infections
to zero.” ****
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Ms. Temitope Ijiwole, Action Health Incorporated ****
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MD Ramesh, Regional Head of East and Southern Africa adds: “Olam doesn’t
just work with 3.4 small scale million farmers across Africa, we depend on
them. So as a responsible corporate citizen in the sensitive agricultural
sector of Africa, we believe in supporting healthcare initiatives as much
as we can.****
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“Given our goal of developing relationships that unlock mutual value for
the communities with whom we work, we are selectively but exhaustively
partnering with African governments in providing aid and support to fight
this deadly virus.” ****
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*About Olam International Limited *
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Olam International is a leading global integrated supply chain manager and
processor of agricultural products and food ingredients, supplying various
products across 16 platforms to over 12,300 customers worldwide. From a
direct presence in more than 65 countries with sourcing and processing in
most major producing countries, Olam has built a global leadership position
in many of its businesses, including Cashew, Spices & Dehydrates, Cocoa,
Coffee, Rice, Cotton and Wood Products. Headquartered in Singapore and
listed on the SGX-ST on February 11, 2005, Olam currently ranks among the
top 40 largest listed companies in Singapore in terms of market
capitalisation and is a component stock in the Straits Times Index (STI),
MSCI Singapore Free, S&P Agribusiness Index and the DAXglobal Agribusiness
Index. Olam is the only Singapore firm to be named in the 2009, 2010 and
2012 Forbes Asia Fabulous 50, an annual list of 50 big-cap and most
profitable firms in the region. It is also the first and only Singapore
company to be named in the 2009 lists for the Global Top Companies for
Leaders and the Top Companies for Leaders in the Asia Pacific region by
Hewitt Associates, the RBL Group and Fortune. More information on Olam can
be found at http://www.olamonline.com ****