World Bank Approves $12.6 Million Grant to Sri Lanka for AIDS Prevention Programs

The World Bank yesterday announced the approval of a $12.6 million grant to Sri Lanka for HIV/AIDS prevention programs, Reuters reports. The grant will be used to support government initiatives including the expansion of current educational programs as well as those aimed at reducing stigma associated with the disease. The World Bank commended Sri Lanka's efforts to control the epidemic but expressed alarm at a recent increase in HIV/AIDS cases. A World Bank statement noted that Sri Lanka "has a window of opportunity to prevent an epidemic," according to Reuters. "The government's recent efforts ... have the potential to move Sri Lanka away from the path taken by countries with full-blown epidemics," World Bank Country Director Peter Harrold said. UNAIDS estimates that approximately 4,800 of Sri Lanka's 19 million people are HIV-positive (Reuters, 12/18).