Washington, May 28: US President George W Bush has signed legislation launching an emergency effort to provide USD 15 billion to fight AIDS, focussing on 12 African and two Caribbean countries where the disease is concentrated. The five-year program aims to prevent seven million new infections with HIV, care for 10 million HIV positive people and AIDS orphans and provide treatment to two million. "The fight against AIDS is difficult but not hopeless. We know how to prevent AIDS and how to treat it," Bush said after signing the legislation yesterday. He said the legislation provides for the purchase of low-cost anti-retroviral medications and other drugs and the establishment of a broad network to deliver these drugs to the farthest reaches of Africa "even by motorcycle or bicycle." "In the face of preventable death and suffering, we have a moral duty to act, and we are acting," he said.

Bush said he would try to persuade other industrial nations to contribute to the effort financially. He leaves for Poland, Russia and France later this week.

He said the legislation would also provide additional money for the global fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.

Bush would soon nominate a global AIDS coordinator of the rank of ambassador to direct US efforts to fight AIDS, officials said.

Bureau Report