Gates to Pull HIV Funding From India

Wrapping up a trip to India, Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates announced that his foundation will no longer fund a push to decrease the incidence of HIV in the country.

Gates said India's HIV infection rate has decreased dramatically, according to IBN News. The Indian government is still expected to contribute the bulk of HIV/AIDS funding.

"The Avahan initiative has been a phenomenal success," Gates said of the initiative funded through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. "I should note, though, that the government of India has been together on this on every step of the way. In fact, in the years ahead most of the ongoing work on prevention would be funded by the government."

The Avahan initiative, which helped 80,000 gay and bisexual men and transgender women as well as some female sex workers, will be pulled after 2012. The work will be taken over by the National AIDS Control Organization after Gates relinquishes his duties.

Former Health Secretary Sujatha Rao said of the news, "We are always struggling for funding -- health is an ever-expanding horizon of needs. They have done a great job. Now it is over to us -- the ministry -- to build it and make sure then into sustainable projects."