Bill Gates gives Imperial College £5m to develop Aids tests

MICROSOFT mogul Bill Gates has donated £5 million to Imperial College London towards the manufacture of a home test for Aids patients in developing countries.

The device measures the immune system by counting vital CD4 cells that fight off disease so health care workers can make clinical decisions such as when to begin or change antiretroviral therapy.

Current methods are expensive to buy and maintain, and require a level of infrastructure and training not often available across Africa and Asia where HIV is rife but Imperial College's technique is quick and easy and costs £1.40 to administer as it requires no electronics or mechanical parts.

The test works with a finger-prick blood sample and provides a read-out within minutes. One of the prototypes has a design similar to a home pregnancy test kit.

Three medical instrument companies, two in the US and one in Australia, have developed prototypes, one of which will be chosen for mass production next year thanks to the $7.3 million grant (£5.16million) from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Billionaire philanthropist Mr Gates, who stepped down as chief executive of computer giant Microsoft last year to concentrate on his charity work, also supported the first three years of the project with an $8.6 million (£6million) grant in 2005.