This would be particularly so for the gold mining industry, where silica exposure is concentrated, and which accordingly suffers higher prevalences of tuberculosis and silicosis than the other major commodity sectors of platinum group metals (“platinum”) and coal. Given that many miners leave the industry for ill-health reasons and that ex-miners generally lose their access to company medical services, excess mortality would be expected among ex-miners relative to both working miners and the general population. (“TEBA”), of whom 27% were from countries outside South Africa. Between 19, 1.64 million miners, mostly internal or foreign migrants, were recruited through the primary regional recruitment agency, TEBA Ltd. The South African mining industry has been, and continues to be, reliant on migrant labour from rural areas of South Africa and neighbouring Southern African countries. While this initiative aims to strengthen tuberculosis control programmes in affected countries, a specific goal is the tracing, screening and treatment of former miners. In response, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the World Health Organization, the World Bank and the National Tuberculosis Programmes of Southern African countries have launched an ambitious programme to combat tuberculosis in mining populations in the Southern African region.
ALPHA 17 7 DAYS TO DIE COAL MINING DRIVERS
Drivers of the co-epidemic include industry related factors such as silica dust inhalation, transmission in congregate settings, and migrancy. It has been belatedly recognised by the Southern African and international communities that the triple disease burden of silicosis, HIV infection and tuberculosis among the very large population of miners and ex-miners in Southern Africa constitutes a public health disaster. Coordinated action between the mining industry, governments and non-governmental organisations is needed to reduce the impact of this precarious transition. However, ex-miners have further elevated mortality and a very high mortality risk in the year after leaving the workforce. Mortality patterns follow that of the national HIV-tuberculosis epidemic and antiretroviral treatment availability. This is the first long-term mortality assessment in the large ex-miner population from the South African mining industry. Mortality predictors were being a black miner underground work (aHR 1.33 95% CI 1.28–1.39) and gold aHR 1.15 (95% CI 1.12–1.19) or multiple commodity employment (aHR 1.15 95% CI 1.11–1.19). Adjusted annual mortality halved over the 12 year period. Overall mortality was 20% higher than in the general population. ResultsĬrude mortality rates peaked in the first year after exit (32.8/1000 person-years), decreasing with each year from exit. The study aimed to calculate crude and standardised mortality rates, identify secular trends in mortality and model demographic and occupational risk factors for mortality. This study included 306,297 South African miners who left the industry during 2001–2013. Such information is important because of the size and dispersion of this population across a number of countries and the progressive nature of these diseases. “We believe management’s ability to increase productivity at Massey’s mines is real and we believe anything material on this front is pure upside,” he wrote in a research note.Despite their burden of a triple epidemic of silicosis, tuberculosis and HIV infection, little is known about the mortality experience of miners from the South African mining industry once they leave employment.
steam, or thermal, coal, which is used in power generation. Other coal shares also dipped, along with the broader market.Īnalyst Jeremy Sussman, of Brean Murray Carret & Co, said Alpha’s results beat his estimate partly on lower-than-expected costs for Eastern U.S. producers, Alpha is positioned to benefit from our ability to serve the seaborne metallurgical market in 2011, and these market conditions bode well for Alpha’s prospects in 2012 with over 90 percent of our 2012 metallurgical coal shipments open to market pricing.”īut Alpha shares slipped 39 cents to $53.70 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange. “As the largest exporter of metallurgical coal among U.S. “In light of the devastating flooding recently experienced in Australia, spot prices for coking (metallurgical) coal have risen above the recent first-quarter benchmark settlement, and tight overseas market conditions are expected to persist throughout the year,” said Chief Executive Kevin Crutchfield.
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