Cabinet Approves Rs 2,550 Crore for Implementation of AIDS Program

Around Rs 2,550 crore will be spent implementation of National AIDS Control Support Project (NACSP) under the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) after it was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Thursday. The NACSP will contribute towards intensifying and consolidating prevention services with a focus on highly vulnerable populations, high risk groups and bridge population.

It will also focus on institutional strengthening and financial management.

The NACP is financed by the Indian government and the World Bank in equal proportion. Presently, the fourth phase of NACP (2012-17) is going on.

Earlier this month, the World Bank approved the fourth of a series of credits aimed at supporting India's AIDS control programme which seeks to curb the spread of HIV.

The $255 million credit to the National AIDS Control Support Project will help accelerate AIDS prevention programs by targeting vulnerable groups at high risk of infection.

Some 2.4 million Indians are presently living with HIV-AIDS. It ranks third after South Africa and Nigeria in HIV-AIDS cases.

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Source-IANS