Travel
Sites
Visit
Goa, Karnataka,
Kerala,
Tamil Nadu,
Andhra
Pradesh
in South India,
Delhi, Rajasthan,
Uttar
Pradesh, Himachal
Pradesh in North India, Assam,
Bengal,
Sikkim in
East India
|
|
|
SOCIETY
Bill Gates meets sex workers in Pune
Pune
(Maharashtra): Microsoft founder and co-chairman
of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates,
visited sex workers in Pune. Gates along with his
wife Melinda visited the red light area of Budhwar
Peth in Pune to create awareness amongst the sex workers
regarding AIDS on Thursday. The purpose of Bill Gates'
visit to the area was also to review two projects,
funded by the foundation, on prevention of sexually
transmitted infection. "The visit was confidential
and we were not aware that Gates was going to visit
us,” said Meena Kurlekar, Director Vanchit Vikas,
a voluntary organization working for the sex workers.
“He (Bill Gates) took a look at the working of the
clinic and had discussions with our paramedics. I
think it (the visit) should be good," added Kurlekar.
The Gates Foundation started operations in India in
2003 and has committed over 200 million dollars to
HIV prevention in India, its largest commitment to
the campaign in any country. The other initiatives
of the Foundation include 'Avahan', where 258 million
dollars have been committed in the first phase of
the project towards India's AIDS-control initiatives.
The Foundation has been providing grants for public
health activities, notably in the areas of HIV/AIDS
prevention and communication. There are 2.47 million
persons in India living with HIV, equivalent to approximately
0.36 per cent of the adult population.
-Nov
7, 2008
Previous
File Current
File
|
|
|
|