UNITED NATIONS, June 3: A special three-day United Nations General Assembly session on combating AIDS ended on Friday with a pledge to set ‘ambitious national targets’ this year, including interim targets for 2008.

It called for an allocation of $20 billion to $23 billion for fighting AIDS by 2010.

Speaking to an audience of presidents and prime ministers, including America’s First Lady Laura Bush, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan noted that the billions of dollars spent on fighting AIDS have failed to stop the spread of the disease.

“The epidemic continues to outpace us. Last year, globally, there were newer infections than ever before, and more people died than ever before,” Mr Annan said.

Pakistan urged the international community to focus on expanding the scope of preventive services in fighting the disease.

“The role of inter-governmental agencies and leadership becomes critical towards generating support for HIV/AIDS prevention and care programs,” Pakistan’s Health Minister Mohammad Nasir Khan told participants at the meeting. “We need to formulate effective policies to respond to this epidemic,” he added.

Mrs Bush, heading the US delegation at the meeting, urged world leaders to ensure that their people understand clearly how the disease spreads. “All people need to know how AIDS is transmitted, and every country has an obligation to educate its citizens. This is why every country must also improve literacy, especially for women and girls, so they can learn to make wise choices that will keep them healthy and safe,” she said.