In 1997, there was little hope of treatment or survival for thousands of HIV-positive Romanian children and adults. It was a problem that the Government of Romania was committed to alleviating, and they had a willing, dedicated partner in Adrian Caretu, M.D. With the support of Merck, he worked closely with the Romanian Government to help develop programs and systems designed to track, monitor and treat HIV/AIDS patients. Today, Romania is one of the few countries in the world that provides universal antiretroviral treatment at no cost to its HIV-positive population.     Merck continues to experience firsthand the power of public/private partnerships to improve access to medicines. A long-standing example is the Mectizan Donation Program, which marked its 15th anniversary in 2002. Through this partnership of more than 70 organizations, Merck has donated more than 250 million doses of Mectizan to help eliminate river blindness in Africa, Latin America and Yemen. Our work in Botswana through the African Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnerships (ACHAP) is yet another example of what public/private partnerships can accomplish. This partnership among the Government of Botswana, Merck and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has created a collaborative model of an HIV/AIDS program focusing on prevention, care, treatment and support. By providing resources and technical assistance to the government, ACHAP is striving to dramatically reduce the transmission of HIV/AIDS, provide access to care, and make long-lasting improvements to the health care infrastructure in Botswana.     In the United States, Merck actively supports the addition of a prescription drug benefit to Medicare, based on the principles of competition and choice. Recognizing that it will take time for that benefit to become a reality, Merck offers a Patient Assistance Program to those without prescription drug coverage and the ability to pay for our medicines. Last year alone, we filled some 4.2 million prescriptions at no cost for about 500,000 patients. Through collaboration, commitment and compassion, the people of Merck continue to bring the best of medicine to the people who need it most around the world.