Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the contribution was in addition to the government's six-year 200 million dollar global HIV/AIDS initiative launched four years ago.

The fund's executive director Richard Feachem said Australia was recognised as a world leader in fighting HIV/AIDS and hoped its decision to join the fund would encourage other countries to do the same.

"We collectively in the rich countries have not adequately yet appreciated the global devastation that HIV/AIDS is causing," Feachem told reporters.

"If you go to the countries of southern Africa, you'll see these countries imploding because of HIV/AIDS.

"Three African heads of state have predicted that their countries will cease to exist as organised nation states if this epidemic continues."

TERRA.WIRE