Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2002. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 14 November 2002
The meeting followed Monday's announcement by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation of an initial $100 million commitment to support an India AIDS Initiative, which aims to slow the spread of HIV/AIDS in the world's second most populous country.
The initiative will expand access to proven HIV prevention interventions among mobile populations, which include migrant labourers, truck drivers, construction workers and their sexual partners. It will also combat stigma surrounding the disease, which 40 million people worldwide are living with.
Vice-President Meora congratulated Gates on his expression of "profound concern at the alarming spread of HIV/AIDS in India. Your unmatched philantropy of a $100 million support to combat a scourge that is threatening the very future of a whole nation has been received with deep appreciation by all."
"HIV/AIDS is at a relatively low level in India, and experience shows that countries that act at an early stage can prevent the disease from becoming widespread," said Gates earlier. "The India AIDS Initiative marks a long-term commitment by the Foundation to support India's efforts to contain further spread of the disease."
Deora told Gates that the Red Cross Red Crescent global network in 178 countries was ideally placed to cooperate with the Gates Foundation and UNAIDS in an united effort to combat the spread of the epidemic at community and household level.
On May 8, World Red Cross Red Crescent Day, the International Federation launched a two-year anti-stigma campaign in support of people living with HIV/AIDS, which is now under way throughout the world.
While urging Gates to consider the Red Cross Red Crescent as an active partner in the fight against HIV/AIDS, he said there was no doubt that HIV/AIDS "needs to be battled on a war footing and the Red Cross, with its long and vast experience in times of major wars and calamities ... is excellently placed to fight the world's biggest battle threatening mankind."
Deora also referred to last week's Governing Board meeting of the International Federation which was addressed by the UNAIDS Director, Dr. Peter Piot. The Federation has been declared an official UNAIDS Collaborating Centre by Dr. Piot.
Bill Gates is being accompanied on his week-long visit to India by Dr. Helene Gayle, who leads the Gates Foundation's HIV/AIDS and TB program. "International projections indicate 45 million new HIV infections worldwide between now and 2010, but those projections are in no way inevitable," said Dr. Gayle.
"An estimated 28 million of these new global infections could be prevented if existing HIV prevention strategies were scaled up and if new prevention technologies were created. That is precisely the focus of our effort in India, and the progress made here could have a profound impact on India and around the world," she said.
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