Anglo American South Africa Is Experiencing an AIDS Epidemic

Anglo American South Africa is experiencing an AIDS epidemic. Life expectancy in that country is 48 years; life expectancy has not been that low in the United States since 1909. Thirty percent of the population is HIV positive. The largest employer by far in South Africa is Anglo American, a mining conglomerate. This company estimates that between 25 and 30 percent of its employees are HIV positive. Dr. Brian Brink, an employee of Anglo American, decided Anglo could help arrest the growth of AIDS by providing its 130,000 South African employees with free anti-AIDS medicine. Anglo American's executives agreed. The decision to provide the drug makes Anglo one of the largest customers for AIDS medicine in the world. Anglo provides clinics staffed with company-employed doctors and nurses to provide for the medical needs of its employees. Anglo not only had to pay for the medicine (which costs twice the salary of an average miner) , it had to set up a system to dispense it and monitor treatment. Anglo also supplies education, counseling, and disease testing as well as condoms to all of its employees. Anglo's decision to fight AIDS has sent a palpable wave of relief, optimism, and hope throughout South Africa. Other companies have followed Anglo American's lead. Refer to Anglo American. Even though Anglo American would not have been considered unethical if it had not begun the fight against AIDS, it chose to assume a social role of ____, the highest level of social responsibility.

A) legal responsibility
B) equitable responsibility
C) discretionary responsibility
D) moral responsibility
E) economic responsibility