The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, promoted by Microsoft chairman, Bill Gates has announced a grant of $100 million for a new initiative to prevent the spread of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) in the country.

The fund would primarily be used to improve access to proven HIV prevention interventions among the `mobile' population, such as truck drivers and migrant labour and to launch a nationwide campaign to combat the social stigma surrounding the disease.

Announcing the grant, here on Monday, Gates, who is on an Indian tour, said the initiative would complement the national AIDS control programme of the central government. The Programme Advisory Board would be headed by the Union Health Minister, Shatrughan Sinha, and include two senior Government officials, apart from representatives from the business, medical and NGO community, he said.

Gates indicated that the grant is not a one-time support but an initial commitment. The Foundation is to support the anti-AIDS activities on a long term basis.

Ashok Alexander, senior partner at the consultancy company, McKinsey, has been appointed as the Director of the anti-AIDS initiative.

Gates denied that the Foundation was targeting a narrow group of population and indicated that the initiative focused on the mobile populations because as they were more vulnerable to the disease and were a key group to reach to prevent the spread of the disease.