More than 30 years after it was first reported and following millions of lives lost, AIDS can be overcome by the collective efforts of mankind, U.S. President Barack Obama said Thursday.

As part of the global observance of World AIDS Day, Obama declared in Washington that "we can beat this disease."

Under the leadership of former President George W. Bush, the United States poured $15 billion to finance the global battle against AIDS/HIV, with the U.S. government initiating programs that aim to check the spread of the virus, make treatments more accessible and support AIDS agencies in at least 15 nations where the disease has wrought considerable havoc.

Obama said he intends to sustain the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief started by Bush in 2003, which was provided with an additional $45 billion budget by the U.S. Congress when Obama came into office in 2009.

As the first African-American president, Obama stressed that America's AIDS relief program is focused on the epidemic in Africa, where 12 of the countries identified by the Bush administration as priority cases are located.

The president lauded his immediate predecessor for creating a humanitarian relief against a lethal condition that has already killed 30 million people.

That single act alone, Obama said, will serve as one of the lasting legacies of the Bush presidency.

"And we are proud that we have the opportunity to carry that work forward ... (which) has saved thousands and thousands and thousands of lives, spurred international action, and laid the foundation for a comprehensive global plan that will impact the lives of millions," Obama said.

He lamented the continued high infection rate in America, where "new infections among young, black, gay men increase by nearly 50 percent."

These disturbing figures, the president said, should remind everyone in America that "we need to do more to show them that their lives matter."

According to the Associated Press, Obama is targeting to deliver AIDS relief to as many as 6 million people by the end of 2013, reaching out to countries worst affected.

That goal, U.S. officials said, would require some $50 million additional expenses, which has been allocated to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and with already defined recipients.

For much of the relief program's global targets, Obama called on other nations to do their share in battling the disease, as he admitted that the United States also has it hands full with some 1.2 million Americans living with the disease.

That number, AP said, increases by at least 50,000 new infections each year.

"Countries that haven't made a pledge need to do so ... and that includes China and other major economies that are now able to step up as major donors," AP quoted Obama as saying.

He added that countries around the world should look on the present AIDS statistics for them to be convinced that concrete action needs to be taken soon.

At the last count, HIV has infected some 60 million people across the globe and as many as 33 million individuals are living with the virus, AP said.