[Promotional Materials, International Conference on AIDS (13th : 2000 : Durban, South Africa)]

ELIZABETH GLASER PEDIATRIC AIDS FOUNDATION AWARDED
$15 MILLION BY THE BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION TO
PREVENT MOTHER-TO-CHILD TRANSMISSION OF HIV
DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA, July 12, 2000 -- The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS
Foundation announced today that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has
awarded a $15 million grant directed to its newest global initiative, the
"Call to Action Project," to reduce mother-to-infant HIV transmission
globally.
This gift represents the largest single donation in the history
of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. It will provide for
community mobilization and training of health care workers, HIV counseling
and testing, antiretroviral treatment regimens and breast feeding education
to prevent the transmission of HIV from a pregnant woman to her newborn.
"Every day more than 1,800 babies are newly infected with HIV -- 1,700 of
these infants are born in Sub-Saharan Africa," said Paul Glaser, Chairman of
the Board of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
"This gift by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provides the resources to expand and
grow our program to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV period. In collaboration
with our local and global partners, we can establish more infrastructure, develop culturally
relevant counseling and testing, and accelerate simple, affordable and effective
interventions to prevent HIV infection in children."
In collaboration with Dr. Art Ammann of Global Strategies for HIV
Prevention, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation launched its
"Call to Action Project" in September 1999 to mobilize a worldwide response
to the global pediatric AIDS pandemic and take immediate action.