( CNN ) -- A decade ago , over 1 million people in Zambia were living with HIV . Only 143 of them were receiving treatment . The average cost of that treatment was more than $ 10,000 per year . Being infected with HIV in Zambia was akin to a death sentence . When I visited Zambia in 2012 , the picture had changed . Eighty percent of Zambians living with HIV now had access to treatment . I met Florence Daka , a mother of four , who received anti-retroviral treatment five years ago to prevent her from passing the virus to her baby while she was pregnant . Florence now takes medicine that allows her to work full time and care for her children . It costs about 50 cents per day . View full gallery : Zambia , then and now . On World AIDS Day , December 1 , we have an opportunity to make Florence 's story a reality for more families by supporting an organization that is helping developing countries respond to three of the world 's biggest health challenges -- the Global Fund to Fight AIDS , Tuberculosis and Malaria . Since it was founded in 2002 , the Global Fund has been a leader in the world 's successful response to HIV/AIDS , TB and malaria . All told , its efforts have saved nearly 9 million lives . Opinion : Wrong time to reverse course on HIV/AIDS . The Global Fund also plays a key role in helping developing countries change the course of these three epidemics . For example , when people have early access to HIV testing and treatment , they not only save their own lives but they dramatically reduce their chances of infecting others . Moreover , a simple preventive procedure like voluntary medical male circumcision lowers a man 's chance of acquiring HIV -- and potentially transmitting it to his partner -- by about 60 % . Overall , effective prevention and treatment programs have helped reduce new HIV infections by a third since 2001 . That last number is crucial , because preventing new HIV infections is absolutely essential to ending AIDS . Developing a vaccine to prevent HIV remains critical , and scientific researchers are achieving exciting breakthroughs . In the meantime , we need to develop new technologies that women can use to protect themselves . Condoms are a great way to prevent the spread of HIV , but they require the cooperation of both partners . Interactive : World AIDS Day . Even if a vaccine or a revolutionary new prevention method were discovered tomorrow , our work would n't be over -- because they wo n't end AIDS if they do n't reach people at risk . That is what the Global Fund has been so successful at doing for the past decade : delivering the best tools available to the people who need them most . The Global Fund does n't just provide money for pills and other health products . It channels its resources into training new generations of doctors , nurses , and health care workers . It helps developing countries build stronger health systems . This approach guarantees that the money donors invest in the Global Fund has a long-term impact on overall health and quality of life in dozens of countries . Put simply : The Global Fund is n't just one of the kindest things people have ever done for each other -- it 's also one of the smartest investments the world has ever made . On Monday and Tuesday , leaders from around the world will meet in Washington for the Global Fund 's fourth pledge conference , called the Global Fund Replenishment , to raise the necessary funding for the next three years . 'No longer a death sentence ' The gathering is a reminder that the Global Fund was founded by the world to address an urgent need . We still need the entire world 's support to continue the incredible progress we 've made . This World AIDS Day , we need governments , private donors , NGOs , activists and leaders to reaffirm their commitment to an organization that has helped change the course of three epidemics . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Bill Gates .
Bill Gates : Within a decade , we have seen huge progress in the fight against AIDS . Gates : I think within 10 years, it will be 100 % cured. He says we should support the Global Fund , which has helped save nearly 9 million lives . Gates : Global Fund Replenishment will aim to raise funding for next three years .