The Bush administration recorded one of the most successful achievements yesterday when a major anti-AIDS project was approved by house leaders from both parties and the White House.

They agreed on a bill that would triple the funding for the Bush administration’ s global AIDS program, which could be called the largest foreign aid initiative meant to combat a single disease in the US history.

Communications director David Bryden of the Global AIDS Alliance says that the agreement for the funding was achieved as a result of the bipartisan cooperation between congress and the White House.

“I think that we had members of congress from both sides of the aisle who realized it would be a mistake to flat-fund the program,” said Bryden.

The bill sets $50 billion to be used over a five-year period to prevent HIV infection, treat people tested HIV positive and watch for children who remained orphans after there parents had died from the disease. The program, known as the President’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), has provided $15 billion during its first five years, the Boston Globe reports.

The new bill also focuses on changing a number of related policies including spending on abstinence programs.

According to committee chairman Howard Breman, every day 6,000 people are infected by HIV.

Dr. Paul Zeitz, executive director of the Global AIDS Alliance said that “This historic agreement will save million of lives.”

President Bush has recently completed a trip to five African countries, where he had discussions with heads of state regarding other diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis, which also affect the AIDS patients. The new bill includes 14 Caribbean countries, which will benefit from PEPFAR along with 15 African countries.

US President will also have to decide on how the funds will be divided. Bryden says that the first step to be done is training the medical staff. He also highlights the importance of fighting malaria and tuberculosis, for which $9 billion will be allotted.

The bill is waiting approval from the Senate. Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council, said the bill fixes the errors of the previous bill.

“This bill is a marked improvement and is aimed at protecting life, not destroying it," he said. "While not perfect, this bill continues the principles of the bipartisan PEPFAR program passed five years ago.”