The Business Bytes
TBB BUREAU
JHARSUGUDA, DEC 10, 2022
In its bid to sensitize community members, employees and business partners on the effective prevention and management of HIV/AIDS, Vedanta Aluminium in association with the Jharsuguda District Health Department and the Odisha State AIDS Control Society (OSACS), observed a week-long awareness program based on the theme ‘Equalize’ to mark World AIDS Day.
As part of the awareness campaign, information on the key measures to prevent HIV/AIDS were shared through rallies, info sessions, and distribution of informative pamphlets in Jharsuguda district. Throughout the week, several awareness sessions were organised in association with key administrative and medical personnel from the district, including Prabir Kumar Mohanty, Additional District Magistrate, Jharsuguda, Dr. Dolamani Patel, Chief District Medical & Public Health Officer, Jharsuguda, Bulunath Sahu, District Program Manager, Dr. AK Pandit, Medical Officer, Integrated Counselling Treatment Center, District Sexual & RTI Clinic, and members of the Association of Volunteer Action. Vedanta’s Mobile Health Unit also travelled to several locations in Jharsuguda to spread awareness as part of this initiative.
Through the campaign, the company reached out to numerous schools and college students, government officers, police personnel and prison inmates at Jharsuguda District Jail, together benefitting more than 2900 members of the community.
Speaking on the occasion, Vedanta Ltd., Jharsuguda CEO Sunil Gupta said, “Ensuring the collective health and well-being of our community has always been a key area of focus within Vedanta’s social interventions. We have endeavoured to maximise community awareness on improved health and hygiene practices by partnering with government bodies and organizations also working towards this cause. HIV/AIDS is a global health challenge that can be prevented by effective and essential measures, and we are making efforts to address this challenge through focused outreach to our communities. Through such initiatives, Vedanta is committed in its efforts to improve the overall quality of life of our local communities”
Appreciating the company’s efforts, OSACS Project Director Urmila Mishra said, “Vedanta’s initiatives to sensitize the community towards the prevention of HIV/AIDS supports the public health department’s fight against this life-threatening disease. The company’s effort in reaching out to various sections of the society and working towards building an AIDS-free community is truly appreciable.”
Vedanta Aluminium’s social interventions in the domains of quality education, healthcare, skill development, women empowerment, water and sanitation, and community infrastructure reach out to over 79 villages in Jharsuguda and nearby areas, benefiting nearly 1.7 lakh people in a year. It empowers more than 4000 women from over 338 SHGs, provides doorstep healthcare services to about 32,000 people annually, provides educational support to more than 6400 students, and has planted more than 1.48 lakh trees in partnership with locals at the community level.
Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.26 million tonnes in FY22. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 4th in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) 2021 world rankings for aluminium industry, a reflection of its sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.
