The International AIDS Society selected this theme to emphasize the need for the general community and public and private sector organizations, scientists, and social workers to commit to use the knowledge gained through science and experience take action.
"[2] In the United States, the political concern was to give aid to save the most number of lives at the least cost, and there was a debate which argued that more people could be saved by diverting money which had formerly been committed to fighting HIV to instead treating diarrhea and respiratory disease.
[3] At the Vienna conference, protesters were asserting that in any case HIV prevention and AIDS treatment were priorities.
Protesters accused Barack Obama of reneging on commitments to fund the global campaign against AIDS.
[4] Desmond Tutu stated that he was "saddened by (Obama's) decision to spend less than he promised to treat AIDS patients in Africa.