Chevron Announces Partnership to Amplify Efforts in Eliminating Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV in Nigeria, Angola and South Africa

Chevron announced today at the 2012 International AIDS Conference (AIDS
2012) a partnership initiative with Pact, the Business Leadership
Council (BLC), mothers2mothers and the Global Fund to aggressively
combat crisis-level mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Nigeria,
Angola and South Africa.

'We must intensify our collective efforts to meet the serious challenges
to eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV head-on,? said Rhonda
Zygocki, Executive Vice President, Policy and Planning for Chevron. 'We
are mobilizing resources and strategic partners with specialized
expertise to address critical issues facing Nigeria, Angola and South
Africa in order to move toward an HIV-free generation by 2015.?

The risk of mother-to-child transmission is an unfortunate reality in
these countries. In Nigeria, approximately 75,000 babies are born with
HIV each year, and most of these infections are due to transmission from
their mothers. In South Africa, the country has the largest number of
people living with HIV in the world, and approximately 30 percent of
pregnant women were HIV-positive in 2009. Additionally in Angola, where
more than 60 percent of the population is under 25 years old, an
estimated 15 percent of the country′s HIV cases are caused by
mother-to-child transmission.

'As a company, we depend on a healthy society and healthy workforce,?
Zygocki said. 'With HIV/AIDS disproportionately affecting women in
Africa, it is critical that we come together in the fight against this
disease. At Chevron, we recognize prevention of mother-to-child
transmission (PMTCT) of HIV as both a critical intervention for the
families of our employees and the communities where they work, as well
as a realistic approach to the elimination of HIV entirely.?

The PMTCT partnership areas of focus include:

• Pact: Build the capacity of civil society organizations to
  increase PMTCT practices in Nigeria′s Bayelsa State through education,
  raising awareness and reducing stigma.
  
• BLC: Support the government of Nigeria to develop and implement
  models for accelerated PMTCT delivery over the next two years.
  
• mothers2mothers: Lay the groundwork to establish its Mentor
  Mother model in Nigeria during the next 18 months.
  
• The Global Fund: Advance PMTCT programs targeting Angola and
  South Africa.
  

This partnership is part of the $20 million commitment made by Chevron
in June 2011 at the United Nations High Level Meeting on AIDS to support
the global plan to eliminate new HIV infections among children by 2015
and keep their mothers alive.

'Nigeria is the front line in the fight to eliminate mother-to-child
transmission of HIV, and its government is ready to dramatically scale
up testing and treatment for mothers ? through both public and private
healthcare providers,? said John Megrue, chairman of the Business
Leadership Council for a Generation Born HIV Free (BLC). 'Chevron is
committed to improving public health in Nigeria and around the world,
and I am grateful for its generous support to the BLC and to the
Government of Nigeria. Together, we want to work with Nigeria′s leaders
to translate their vision for a generation born HIV free into reality.?

'Every mother wants to protect her baby,? said Mark Viso, president and
CEO of Pact, an international NGO at work in 29 countries. 'But if a
mother with HIV never knows she is living with HIV, she can do little to
prevent infecting her baby. In the Bayelsa state of Nigeria, where
nearly 100,000 women become pregnant in any given year, an astounding
95,000 are never tested for HIV. That has to change, and Chevron is
helping make that change possible.? To hear more from Mark Viso about
this partnership, please click here.

'Every mother living with HIV should have access to the support and care
she needs to defend her health and protect her baby from HIV infection,?
added Robin Smalley, co-founder of mothers2mothers. 'We are thrilled to
partner with Chevron to expand the reach of our Mentor Mother model and
champion the health and well-being of Nigeria′s mothers and children.?

'The private sector is an extremely important partner in the fight
against the disease, both in program implementation and as a supportive
donor,? said Gabriel Jaramillo, general manager of the Global Fund.
'Chevron became the first Corporate Champion in 2008 and recommitted
additional resources in 2010. We are hugely encouraged by its continued
support for the Global Fund and we hope that other private sector
companies will follow Chevron′s example.?

Chevron′s commitment to addressing PMTCT and fighting HIV/AIDS is
longstanding. The company has been part of the fight against AIDS since
1986 when it joined 13 other Bay Area companies to promote education and
reduce stigma in the workplace. In the 1990s, Chevron expanded its
efforts internationally, and in 2005, became the first oil and gas
company to implement a global HIV/AIDS policy for its employees.

Chevron currently implements PMTCT programs for its workforce in Angola
and Nigeria by providing comprehensive medical care for employees and
their dependents to prevent the transmission of HIV. These programs have
already achieved remarkable impact: For eight years in Angola and 12
years in Nigeria, Chevron has had no reports of mother-to-child
transmission of HIV among its employees or qualified dependents.

From 2008 through 2010, Chevron invested $30 million in Global Fund
grants ? $20 million of which has helped to support HIV/AIDS programs in
Nigeria, South Africa, Thailand and Indonesia. In 2011 to 2013, Chevron
is directing $25 million to the U.S. Fund for the Global Fund to support
programs dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS and reducing mother-to-child
transmission of the virus.

Pact is a promise of a better tomorrow for all those who are poor and
marginalized. Working in partnership to develop local solutions that
enable people to own their own future, Pact helps people and communities
build their own capacity to generate income, improve access to quality
health services, and gain lasting benefit from the sustainable use of
the natural resources around them. At work in 29 countries, Pact is
building local promise with an integrated, adaptive approach that is
shaping the future of international development. www.pactworld.org

The Business Leadership Council ?for a Generation Born HIV Free ?is a
bold, private-sector led initiative with one goal: to end the
transmission of HIV from mothers to children by 2015. BLC members are a
select group of leaders who represent media, finance,
telecommunications, health, technology and retail and is part of the MDG
Health Alliance. www.genhivfree.org

mothers2mothers
(m2m) is eliminating transmission of HIV from mothers to babies and
sustaining the health of women and children with its proven Mentor
Mother model. Since its inception, m2m has reached more than one million
mothers in nine countries. Found in Cape Town in 2001, m2m is a partner
in the United Nations′ Global Plan towards the Elimination of New HIV
Infections among Children by 2015 and Keeping their Mothers Alive.
Learn more at m2m.org
or follow mothers2mothers @msmtweets.

The Global Fund is a unique public-private partnership and international
financing institution dedicated to attracting and disbursing additional
resources to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS, TB and malaria. This
partnership between governments, civil society, the private sector and
affected communities represents an innovative approach to international
health financing. www.theglobalfund.org

Chevron is one of the world′s leading integrated energy companies, with
subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide. The company is involved in
virtually every facet of the energy industry. Chevron explores for,
produces and transports crude oil and natural gas; refines, markets and
distributes transportation fuels and lubricants; manufactures and sells
petrochemical products; generates power and produces geothermal energy;
provides energy efficiency solutions; and develops the energy resources
of the future, including biofuels. Chevron is based in San Ramon, Calif.
More information about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com.

Photos/Multimedia ?Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50356130&lang=en

Chevron, San Ramon

Gus Santoyo, +1-925-790-6401

gsantoyo@chevron.com