Dr. Jim Yong Kim was the leader to promote universal access to anti-retrovirals while serving as Director of the WHOs HIV/AIDS Department. After launching the 3 by 5 initiative to support HIV/AIDS patients in low- and middle-income countries receiving Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART), he managed to help 3 million patients to receive this therapy in 2007 by coordinating with UNAIDS, governments and agencies concerned to arrange funding, training courses and capacity building programs for the treatment, reducing the cost of HAART therapies, and enhancing treatment, prevention, and care for HIV/AIDS patients.
The earnest efforts of Prof. Peter Piot, during his tenure as Executive Director of UNAIDS, and Dr. Jim Yong Kim, during his leadership as Director of WHOs HIV/AIDS Department, have made HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention a global agenda, enabling faster, more comprehensive treatment that has saved millions of lives and benefited peoples health throughout the world.