Addressing "the greatest humanitarian crisis in the 21st century," the US Senate early yesterday passed a $15 billion bill aimed at slowing the Aids pandemic ravaging the world's poorest countries.

The measure passed on a voice vote with broad bipartisan support, despite disagreement about some components. The House previously passed similar legislation. President George W. Bush made the bill a priority in his State of the Union address this year.

At a time when Aids kills one person every 10 seconds, the bill will make anti-viral treatment available to about 2 million HIV-infected people in Africa and the Caribbean who cannot afford the costly cocktail of drugs that can prolong and improve their lives.

It will also provide hospice care for the dying, assist some of the 13 million children who have lost one or both parents, and intensify prevention programs through strategies like sexual abstinence education and promotion of condom use.

President Bush, in a statement, said, "Congress has given the hope of life to millions of people in countries most afflicted by Aids. This historic legislation will enable us to provide critical treatment and care for millions who suffer, and greatly expand successful prevention programmes to help those at risk."

Hours after the Senate vote, representatives of about a dozen groups that backed the legislation joined a news conference hosted by Sen. Mike DeWine, an Ohio Republican, to voice their appreciation.