Global Fund pledges $100m to Indian AIDS fight

India is set to receive $100 million (£50.3 million) to fund its fight to prevent and treat the spread of HIV/AIDS, with the renewal of a grant from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.

Announcing the new funding yesterday, the organisation also pledged a further $53 million (£26.7 million) towards the Indian effort to contain malaria, a disease endemic in the country.

The money will be distributed over three years, and brings the total financial support provided by the Global Fund to the Asian nation to $747 million (£376.2 million) since 2003, Inquirer.net reported.

"This is very positive news for India's fight against AIDS," Anbumani Ramadoss, the country's health minister, told the China Post. "These new resources will be put to use in the best possible way."

Global Fund director, Michel Kazatchkine, added: "These funds will be used to provide antiretroviral treatment, voluntary testing and to tackle stigma [against HIV]."

Earlier this year, a United Nations report revealed that there are 2.5 million Indians infected with HIV/AIDS.

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