In many of our host regions, certain illnesses are ravaging local populations. We are working with host countries and various institutions and NGOs to improve health conditions and organize preventive measures. For example, we signed a corporate funding agreement with Institut Pasteur in 2005, in addition to the strategies already employed to support personal and community health.
Corporate Philanthropy
Total and Institut Pasteur
In October 2005, Total and Institut Pasteur signed a five-year corporate funding agreement intended to strengthen the resources allocated to the fight against infectious diseases, in particular sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Under the agreement, Total will contribute €500,000 a year to fund infectious disease research programs conducted by Institut Pasteur, which will help to train medical personnel in certain non-OECD countries.
As part of the agreement, a partnership was formed in 2005 between Total E&P Angola and Angolan NGO Centro de Appoio aos Jovens (CAJ) , whose work includes testing for and preventing STIs and supporting young people. Total’s backing will expand the resources available to CAJ, especially for educational initiatives.
In liaison with the local WHO office and public authorities and aided by Institut Pasteur’s scientific expertise, we trained 100 Angolan health care providers to provide STI care at CAJ as part of a program validated by Institut Pasteur.
Similar partnerships will be created in the future, since we plan to allocate some €10 million to research and education initiatives through 2010.
Support for Local Initiatives
Total supports multiple community health campaigns and associations. For example, we are contributing to efforts to improve emergency medical services in Beijing and to the creation of a camp for sick children in France.
Additional information on Total’s corporate philanthropy initiatives can be found on the Corporate Philanthropy Web site.
Fighting Pandemics
Strategy to combat HIV/AIDS
We apply a Group-wide policy to combat HIV/AIDS, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2006, we reaffirmed our commitment on World AIDS Day by signing a leadership statement on European Business and AIDS drafted by the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
The cornerstones of our HIV/AIDS strategy are education, prevention, voluntary, confidential testing, and treatment for employees and their families.
Our subsidiaries are implementing action plans, as the following examples show:
- In Burkina Faso, Total Burkina set up a voluntary, anonymous workplace testing scheme in October 2004, in conjunction with specialized associations. To learn more about the policy
- In Cameroon, Total E&P Cameroun created an HIV/AIDS Committee in 2001. Since March 2004, volunteer employees have supported actions designed to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS. Educational meetings are also organized.
Our initiatives are tailored to local conditions. Whenever possible, they build on government programs and health care systems in host countries.
Fighting malaria
With operations in many areas where the disease is endemic, Total teamed up with Compagnie Française de l’Afrique Occidentale (CFAO), sanofi-aventis and Sanisphère in 2006 to produce a practical guidebook to malaria control to help companies implement prevention programs. The 45 stand-alone sheets cover various aspects of the disease from diagnosis to assessment.
Employees can also download the guidebook from the corporate Human Resources intranet.
Avian Flu preparedness
Since 2004, we have been gearing up to deal with the possible advent of avian flu, proactively purchasing equipment and drugs. We have also been encouraging our employees to get flu vaccinations. We are in ongoing contact with public authorities, local health authorities and the WHO, to ensure that we are notified immediately of an epidemic. In 2006, we drafted the main lines of a contingency plan that can be deployed as needed in each subsidiary. |
