By IANS
New Delhi : The World Bank, in partnership with the United Nations and private sector firms, Tuesday launched here a competitive programme for South Asia to reduce stigma and discrimination against HIV/AIDS.
The competition, dubbed “Development Marketplace”, aims at identifying and funding innovative approaches to reduce stigma and discrimination associated with HIV/AIDS in the South Asia region that includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
A statement issued by the World Bank said the Development Marketplace competition is aimed at reaching out to communities across South Asia, seeking proposals for local, small-scale projects with the potential to be scaled up and replicated.
The winners in this competition will be selected by an international jury of World Bank and independent HIV/AIDS experts at a Development Marketplace event May 15, 2008, in Mumbai, said the statement.
Launching the initiative, World Bank’s vice-president for the South Asia region Praful Patel said: “Stigma and discrimination seriously undermine efforts to fight HIV/AIDS.”
“It also marginalizes people at risk and living with the disease, contributing further to their social isolation and rejection,” he pointed out.
“This competition offers a unique opportunity to channel small grants directly to community organisations and non-governmental organisations to implement imaginative approaches that will help change attitudes and practices that undermine effective programs,” he said.
The maximum award will be $40,000 per proposal. Proposals will be accepted until Jan 31, 2008.
The programme has so far awarded nearly $34 million to roughly 800 small-scale projects over the last seven years in various countries worldwide.