Gates Foundation to give India $100 million to fight AIDS

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will contribute $100 million to help fight AIDS in India, the foundation announced on Monday as the Microsoft chairman began a visit to the South Asian nation. During the four-day trip, Gates is scheduled to hold business meetings and make "a long-term, strategic commitment to support the country's efforts to slow the spread of HIV/AIDS," according to a statement from the foundation. The $100 million grant will be used for HIV-prevention efforts in the world's second-most populous nation. A National Intelligence Council report forecasts the number of HIV-positive people in India to rise from just under 4 million today to 20-25 million by 2010. During his visit, Gates is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and with industry leaders and other government officials in New Delhi, Bombay, and the southern software hubs of Hyderabad and Bangalore.