The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Announces New HIV/AIDS Grants at World AIDS Conference

Media contact
Trevor Neilson
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Phone: 206.709.3100
Email: [email protected]

DURBAN, South Africa -- At the AIDS 2000 Conference today, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a series of new AIDS-related grants designed to take a comprehensive approach to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

The new grants total more than $90 million. Grants will focus on decreasing the rate of new infections in Africa through programs that will develop microbicides for women and increase access to medications to reduce rates of maternal-child transmission. Other programs will train people in palliative care and provide resources to children orphaned by AIDS.

The new grants announced in Durban build upon earlier funding of AIDS-related organizations, such as the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), one of the Foundation's first major AIDS grantees. IAVI received $25 million in 1999 to boost the research effort toward discovering a vaccine for HIV/AIDS. Supporting organizations working in the area of AIDS research and prevention is a priority of the Foundation's global health program.

"If governments, UN agencies, NGOs, businesses and foundations work together we can stop AIDS," said Patty Stonesifer, Co-Chair and President of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "We are pleased to see new partnerships and collaboration emerge from Durban, and look forward to the progress that will result."

The Foundation also announced a new partnership with the Republic of Botswana and Merck & Co. The goal of this initiative is to improve the overall state of HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment in Botswana.

"As the Foundation continues to develop its AIDS strategy, we are partnering with organizations that are at the forefront of responding to the critical needs of individuals and communities suffering from HIV/AIDS," said Gordon Perkin, MD, Executive Director of the Foundation's Global Health Programs.

The gifts include:
  • The CONRAD Program - $25 million
    The CONRAD Program's Consortium for Industrial Collaboration in Contraceptive Research (CICCR) grant will be used to expand and accelerate the development and clinical testing of new non-irritating microbicides that will protect women against sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS. The Consortium will collaborate with the World Health Organization and Family Health International to conduct relevant clinical studies.

  • The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation - $15 million
    The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation received a $15 million grant to improve access to and use of anti-retroviral drugs during labor and immediately after birth to reduce perinatal transmission of AIDS. Research has shown that proper use of these drugs can reduce mother-to-child transmission by as much as 50 percent. Each year an estimated 600,000 newborns are infected and some 500,000 children die from AIDS worldwide.  For more information about The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, visit the website.

  • Childreach - $1 million
    Childreach, the U.S. member of PLAN International, has been awarded a $1 million grant to support an African initiative to bring medical and educational resources to children living with or orphaned by HIV/AIDS. The Childreach initiative involves a partnership with CARE, Save the Children and the World Conference of Religion and Peace, as well as with community-based organizations in the countries being served.  For more information about Childreach, visit the website.

  • The Palliative Medical Institute - $455,000
    The Palliative Medical Institute promotes palliative medicine as an integral part of medical care in South Africa. Palliative medicine provides comprehensive care for relief of pain and suffering, especially during the late stages of a terminal illness. It includes the physical, emotional and psycho-social needs of the patient and the family. The grant will be used for training trainers in palliative care.

  • The Botswana Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Partnership - $50 million
    The Foundation will contribute $50 million to help fund a new partnership between the Republic of Botswana and Merck & Co. The partnership will endeavor to significantly advance HIV/AIDS prevention, healthcare access, patient management and treatment of HIV in Botswana, where an estimated 29 percent of the adult population is HIV-positive. The public-private partnership will also include universities, UN agencies, as well as other pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical companies.

  • Health Systems Trust of South Africa - $7 million
    The loveLife Campaign to combat HIV/AIDS is a well recognized program in South Africa to reduce the incidence of HIV infection among young South Africans. The program combines broad-based awareness and educational efforts with adolescent reproductive health service development and outreach. The loveLife program is organized under the direction of the Health Systems Trust of South Africa, a consortium of family planning and health agencies. In addition, the grant will be matched with a $7 million gift from the Henry L. Kaiser Family Foundation.
In addition, the Foundation has announced the following AIDS grants over the past 15 months:
  • United Nations Population Fund - $57 million
    With support from the Foundation, UNFPA will expand upon existing HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns targeted at protecting young people in Botswana, Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda. The five-year initiative will work closely with the governments in each country and with U.S. nonprofit partners PATH (Program for Appropriate Technology in Health) and Pathfinder International.  For more information about UNFPA, visit the website.

  • Peace Corps - $500,000
    The Peace Corps received $500,000 to support an expanded program in HIV/AIDS prevention for all of its 2,400 volunteers serving in African countries. Specifically, the Foundation grant will be used to prepare better education materials, conduct broader training and to promote community outreach activities.  For more information about Peace Corps, visit the website.

  • International Planned Parenthood Federation/Planned Parenthood Association of South Africa - $3 million
    International Planned Parenthood Federation and Planned Parenthood Association of South Africa together will use the Foundation grant to expand upon youth center programs in nine South African communities designed to help prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. In addition, the work of the youth center programs will be supported by a national media campaign.  For more information about International Planned Parenthood Federation, visit the website.


    For more information about Planned Parenthood Association of South Africa, visit the website.

  • AFRICARE - $1.9 million
    AFRICARE received $1.9 million to help strengthen and replicate successful community-based reproductive health campaigns in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Malawi and Zambia.  For more information about AFRICARE, visit the website.