Washington: The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has approved the spending of USD 50 billion over the next five years to combat the health crises posed by AIDS and other diseases in Africa and elsewhere in the world.

The 18-3 committee vote comes two weeks after the House Foreign Affairs Committee endorsed a similar bill.

President George W Bush, chief advocate of the President s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief that began five years ago, backed the House bill and the legislation appears to be on course to becoming one of the few major achievements of Congress in a highly partisan election year.

The Senate bill was jointly introduced by committee chairman Sen Joseph Biden, a Democrat, and top Republican Richard Lugar along with two other members yesterday.

The legislation would more than triple the USD 15 billion allotted for the first five-year programme, which expires this year. Under the programme, targeted to 15 nations in Africa and the Caribbean, some 1.4 million people have received drugs to fight the virus and more than 6.6 million have received care.

"Over 2 million orphans and vulnerable children have received care, education and support," Biden said. "Across Africa, we have given millions of people hope for a better and longer life."

Included in the Senate bill was a measure introduced by Sen John Kerry, a Democrat, to lift a travel ban, enacted in 1987 and reinstated in 1993,on people with HIV entering the United States. There is a waiver option, Kerry said, "but the process is incredibly restrictive."

Source : PTI