Bangalore: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation today (Dec 5, 2003) launched a $ 25 million (Rs 115 crore) programme to scale up HIV prevention in Karnataka, where an estimated five lakh people are infected with the dreaded virus.

Karnataka is the first State to receive grants under the Foundation's broader national HIV prevention package of $ 200 million.

Other States which would receive grants are - Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland, Asok Alexander, Director of "Avahan", the Foundation's India AIDS initiative, told reporters.

At a presentation attended by Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna, Union Health Secretary J V R Prasada Rao said 49 districts in these six States have been identified as "high-prevalence" districts.

The initiative in Karnataka will provide grants to three partners - the University of Manitoba ($ 17 million), the Transport Corporation of India (TCI) Foundation, and Population Services International (both of whom together would receive $ 8 million).

These partners would work in collaboration with Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS) to provide HIV prevention programmes to groups at high risk of infection. The funds are to be spent over the next five years.

The three grantees would provide counselling and testing, behaviour change communication, condom social marketing, and improved diagnosis and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

PTI