Good day. I'm delighted to be here this afternoon.
HIV/AIDS is a serious problem. I've travelled to Africa several times and, having also read up on the subject, I've observed that this epidemic affects a number of countries. We need to move in another very clear direction in the near future because more and more people are dying from HIV/AIDS. We have the statistics to prove it.
However, in terms of Canada's level of supply and the policies governing the drugs used to treat AIDS, do countries -- you mentioned Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso and some of the other least developed countries in Africa - know that they can have access to these pharmaceutical products? Do they have the means to obtain these pharmaceuticals? As you recall, they must pay royalties, which can range anywhere from .02% to 4%, depending on the country. Can they afford these royalties?
On another note, what is the nature of your relationship with CIDA? How do you work with this agency that currently carries out field operations in Africa and in a number of countries? How do you work with these countries in an effort to meet the needs expressed? We talk about cities, but we can't lose sight of people who live in remote rural areas, people who need information and ways of preventing and treating diseases.