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HIV: Oral pills likely

Toronto: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is developing a microbicide or oral preventive drug that can block the transmission of HIV, thereby revolutionising the fight against the dreaded disease which has affected more than 40 million persons worldwide, Bill Gates and Melinda Gates announced at the Sixteenth International AIDS Conference. Delivering the keynote address on the theme "Time To Deliver," Ms. Gates said the Foundation was also focusing on developing a vaccine against HIV/AIDS and for this a series of grants had been made available . Adequate funds are being provided to facilitate the development of these microbicides as they could play a crucial role in preventing the transmission of HIV/AIDS from infected people. Sixteen probable microbicides are being tested at present of which five are major, she said. She also called for Governments to become liberal in allowing trial and testing of probable AIDS Drugs and Vaccines. Mr. Gates said the Foundation donated $500 million to the Global Fund on HIV, Malaria and Tuberculosis as the latter has emerged as a fast and futuristic vehicle in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Asserting universal accessibility of treatment was a priority, Mr. Gates said treatment without prevention was unsustainable as with 40 million HIV/AIDS infected persons the annual cost of providing treatment to all would be $13 billion. — UNI

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