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IDA’s US$ 40m aid for AIDS prevention activities

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December 31, 2000 

Dhaka-- (UNB) – Bangladesh will get USD 40 million development credit from International Development Association (IDA) for HIV/AIDS prevention activities.

An agreement to this effect was signed between Bangladesh and IDA, the concessionary lending arm of the World Bank, yesterday.

Economic Relations Division (ERD) Secretary Dr Masihur Rahman and Ms Nancy Zhao, acting Country Director from the World Bank, signed the agreement on behalf of respective sides, said a WB press release here.

The United Kingdom through the Department for International Development (DIFD) will provide an additional USD 10 million equivalent grant for the project.

The WB press release said Bangladesh has not yet been seriously affected by HIV. However, risk factors for a potential rapid spread of HIV are rampant in Bangladesh -- a high level of unprotected sex, prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases, needle sharing among intravenous drug users and an unscreened blood supply.

Epidemiological research on the development of HIV/AIDS epidemics in South Asian countries suggests that Bangladesh has only a narrow of opportunity to prevent the outbreak of a major HIV/AIDS epidemic.

For this reason, the WB release said, the government of Bangladesh, together with key stakeholders, has decided to take vigorous and urgent action against HIV/AIDS now.