Washington - American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced new efforts on Monday to defeat the scourge of Aids.
“I am here today to make it absolutely clear the United States is committed and will remain committed to achieving an Aids-free generation,” Clinton said at the annual International Aids Conference in Washington.
“We will not back off. We will not back down. This is a fight we can win. We have already come so far, too far to stop now.”
She announced that the US would increase resources for research, treatment and prevention.
The relief organisation Doctors Without Borders welcomed the announcement of new US investment. A spokesperson for the group said that the US still does not do enough to support the production and distribution of medicines to combat HIV, the virus that causes Aids.
The Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria released new statistics on Monday showing that, as of June, programmes backed by the global fund were delivering appropriate treatment to approximately 3.6 million people with HIV - about 600 000 more than at the end of 2010. The number of HIV-infected mothers receiving treatment, which the fund pays for, has risen to 1.5 million.
Also scheduled to speak at the conference are Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, whose Gates Foundation is a major private backer of Aids programmes, and singer Elton John, who has worked for decades on Aids issues. French President Francois Hollande will make a statement via video.
This year's Aids conference, taking place in the US for the first time in 20 years, runs through Friday.
About 25 000 people are taking part to discuss new advances in the fight against the epidemic. - Sapa-dpa