A push to get more AIDS treatment to the world’s poorest, hardest-hit countries is paying off as deaths inch down — and new infections are dropping a bit, too, the United Nations reported Wednesday. “I personally believe it is a new era, new era for treatment, new era for prevention,” said Michel Sidibe, executive director of UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV and AIDS.

This was smart power. Genius, really. In 2007, 8 out of the 10 countries in the world that viewed the United States most fondly were African. And it can’t be a bad thing for America to have friends on a continent that is close to half Muslim and that, by 2025, will surpass China in population.

Particularly given the world's economic problems, debates are increasing over who should pay for all of these types of treatments - both in the US and abroad. The US has sought to exercise "soft power" in several domains -- showing the world that it can be a force for good. HIV represents another such area where such efforts can help.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced that Ellen DeGeneres has been named as a Special Envoy for Global AIDS Awareness. In this role, Ms. DeGeneres will use her celebrity platform to raise awareness about the global fight against AIDS.

Our nation's successful investment in fighting global AIDS has also been a powerful tool of public diplomacy... Giving people a chance at a healthy and productive life is among the most tangible contributions our nation can make to promote development and build stronger relationships with the U.S.

The United States in 2003 committed $15 billion over five years to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Although not labeled as such, this is public diplomacy as it should be done. It is about service, not advertising. It improves (and protects) people’s lives, and as a result wins friends and serves the diplomatic interests of the United States.

Thirty years ago this month, the first cases of what was to become known as AIDS were diagnosed. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 25 million persons have died from AIDS. More than 60 million people have been infected, and in southern Africa alone there are 14 million children orphaned because of AIDS.

From clerics to AIDS activists, Africans applauded Pope Benedict XVI's suggestion that condoms could be used in limited situations to protect partners - a shift that could make a dramatic impact in a continent that is both battling an HIV pandemic and is the fastest-growing region for the Roman Catholic church.