AIDS activists applauded the renewed focus on the disease’€”which remains the leading cause of death among women around the world. Clinton’€™s emphasis on the  use of  antiretroviral medicines to save lives and prevent new HIV infections was especially welcomed.    AIDS activists agreed that new US science has created a moment of opportunity and activists urged President Obama to now lead action.

‘€œSecretary Clinton laid out a bold vision today,’€ said Matthew Kavanagh, Director of US Advocacy for Health GAP.  

‘€œHer speech could be the foundation for the US administration to lead the world to end the AIDS crisis. And it raises high expectations among all those who heard it: we expect that President Obama will now take leadership and dramatically ramp up PEPFAR antiretroviral treatment targets as well as scaling up other highly impactful prevention technologies.

Clinton said, ‘€Instead of falling behind year after year, we will, for the first time, get ahead of the pandemic.   We will be on the path to an AIDS-free generation.   That is the power of combination prevention.’€

 AIDS activists have been frustrated by the  Obama administration’€™s lack of political leadership on global HIV and failures to make good on campaign pledges, especially on HIV treatment. The current PEPFAR strategy, for example, aims to reach only 4 million people with treatment by 2013’€”a goal that has nearly been met without a new plan to continue the fight. Secretary Clinton’€™s speech raised hopes the administration might step into a bolder, stronger leadership worldwide.

‘€œPresident Obama has a huge opportunity to follow up on Secretary Clinton’€™s call with a commitment to getting millions more access to AIDS treatment,’€ said Asia Russell’€”speaking from Uganda. ‘€œWith U.S.-funded science showing we can begin to end AIDS, now is the moment the President must act.      The whole world is watching in the lead up to next year’€™s International AIDS Conference when tens of thousands of us will meet in Washington and it will be clear whether words have been followed with action.’€