This is the VOA Special English Development Report.
The richest man in the world hasgiven India one-hundred-million dollars to help stop the spread ofAIDS. Bill Gates released the gift through a special organizationthat he and his wife started two years ago. The Gates Foundation isin Seattle, Washington. It is near the headquarters of the Microsoftcomputer company that Mister Gates started and operates.
The Gates Foundation is one of the biggest not-for-profitorganizations in the world. It has more thantwenty-four-thousand-million dollars. Mister Gates and Microsofthave helped India develop its information technology industry.
Bill Gates announced the one-hundred-million dollar gift inNovember during a visit to New Delhi. During the next five to tenyears, the money will be used to support a program in India aimed atslowing the spread of AIDS and H-I-V, virus that causes the disease.
The program will increase AIDS prevention services to people whocontinually move across state borders. This population includestruck drivers, builders and people who travel from job to job.Health officials believe this group of people carries the H-I-Vvirus from state to state. They say it is important to treat thismobile population so that the spread of H-I-V to the general publiccan be prevented.
The Gates Foundation gift will also help support the work ofseveral government ministries, including Health and Family Welfare,Railways and Labor. India’s government-run AIDS control program willalso receive some support.
Health experts believe that H-I-V infections in India couldincrease sharply if prevention plans are not put into effect. Thiscould have harmful effects on the country’s health, economic andsocial systems.
The Indian government estimates about four-million adults andchildren have H-I-V. United States government reports say Indiacould have as many as twenty-five-million AIDS and H-I-V cases bytwo-thousand-ten. This would be the highest number of cases in theworld.
During his visit, Mister Gates said nations that act early enoughcan prevent the disease from becoming widespread. He said Indiacould be a leader in the world’s fight against AIDS.
This VOA Special English Development Report was written by JillMoss.