Hon Deputy Speaker, the latest impact study by the SA Medical Research Council, MRC, has the following findings. Firstly, in 2008, the HIV transmission rate from mother to child at six weeks of pregnancy was 8%. In 2010, that was reduced by more than half, to 3,5%, and in 2011, it was further reduced to 2,7%. The impact of this on the whole programme is as follows. Firstly, mothers are increasingly bringing their babies back for testing, and are willing to have them tested for HIV, as opposed to what used to happen in the past.
Secondly, these positive trends and decreasing transmission rates bring with them the possibility of achieving virtual elimination of mother-to- child transmission by 2015.
Lastly, because there are now fewer babies born HIV-positive as a result of this programme, it is going to contribute to the reduction of the infant mortality rate and the mortality rate in children under the age of five. Thank you.