Colin L. Powell

About the author: Colin L. Powell is the United States Secretary of State. General Powell served in the Vietnam and Korean Wars and received numerous U.S. military decorations. In addition, Powell served as twelfth chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Department of Defense, from 1989 through 1993.

The current global response to HIV/AIDS is inadequate, especially considering that the causes of the devastating disease are known and prevention is possible. In order to fight the disease, people at all levels of society must combat taboos concerning AIDS and challenge the traditions that have enabled the disease to spread. The silence that has surrounded the AIDS issue and contributed to discrimination against those infected with AIDS must be broken. All sectors of society and governments worldwide must...