Thank you for that question, because I think it speaks to the notion of the need for new money in terms of addressing this. We can't forget that HIV is the leading killer on the planet, and we can't start shifting priorities to the point where millions are left stranded.
I think some of the studies I've seen about HIV and its impact--and I'm sure my colleagues are much more informed. The maternal mortality ratio appears to be more than six times higher in HIV-positive women than in HIV-negative women. Also, in terms of HIV having an impact on this initiative, I think there is a real area and focus of prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV which half.... I think 500,000 children die every year because of it. It's very easy to treat. It's ARV, isn't it? And it's treatment right after birth.
Not losing sight of the fact that HIV is crucial to this initiative, and way beyond it in terms of global health, but also in terms of getting at it, I think this year is important because of the G-8 initiative that's happening in June in Canada. There's also a Global Fund replenishment happening in the fall. The Global Fund is one of the biggest legacies of the G-8, born out of the G-8.
Half the people who have HIV in Africa are on ARVs. That would never have been thought possible before. Half of those are because of funding to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. I think we need to recognize that along with a significant G-8 initiative, we need to ensure a robust replenishment of the Global Fund.