India eligible for assistance under the US Emergency AIDS Plan

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US Senate panel okays amendment for AIDS relief

Washington, March 10. (PTI): The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has

unanimously approved an amendment making India eligible for assistance under the

Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. The amendment was part of the State Department

Authorisation bill pproved by the Committee and was moved by Democrat Senator

from New Jersey, Jon S. Corzine.

The US-India Political Action Committee welcomed the move, aying " for the past

six months, USINPAC has been working closely with Senator orzine and others in

the Senate and in the House to create greater wareness of the urgency of the

HIV/AIDS crisis in India. "

The amendment, it said in a statement, " furthers a key objective of USINPAC's

AIDS India Initiative making the HIV/AIDS epidemic in India a US foreign policy

priority by securing increased funding for prevention and treatment, bridging

identified gaps in funding and programme needs. "

More than 4 million Indians are believed to have the HIV virus, and the epidemic

is spreading rapidly from urban to rural areas and from high-risk groups to the

general population, it added.

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/003200403101192.htm