Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are countries likely to receive $47 million to help reduce the spread of HIV among gay men.

The South Asian nongovernmental organizations will receive the grant money from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria to start HIV, community-based programs. This is the first grant of this kind put toward such an effort.

Jeffrey O’Malley, global director of the United Nations Development Programs HIV Group, said many gay and transgender people in these countries suffer from continuous discrimination, making it difficult for daily life.

“This makes them more vulnerable to HIV and undermines their capacity to contribute fully to their communities and societies,” O’Malley said in a statement.

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-Kim Brown