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ormer US president Bill Clinton has called for the world to aim for an AIDS-free generation by working together to increase the scale and pace of HIV prevention and treatment efforts for people living with the condition around the globe.

One of the biggest challenges in ending the AIDS epidemic was early detection, Clinton said. '€œNew data from 51 countries suggests 70 percent of HIV-related deaths could have been prevented. The evidence continues to build that early treatment helps prevent further transmissions,'€ he said on Wednesday afternoon during one of the most highly-awaited plenary sessions of the 20th International AIDS Conference in Melbourne.

There are 35 million people living with HIV around the world, but only 13 million have access to antiretroviral treatment (ART). Every year, 2 million people are infected with the disease, including 20,000 infants and children.

'€œWe are here on this 20th anniversary of the conference to celebrate so much of the progress that has been made because the world has made the right decision to fight against AIDS and to create a generation free of it,'€ said Clinton to the applause of thousands of enthusiastic participants.

Before he finished his speech, dozens of activists staged a protest urging Clinton to support a '€œRobin Hood tax'€ scheme.

'€œGive them a hand and ask them to let the rest of us talk,'€ Clinton said in response to the protesters, who carried posters and banners saying '€œEnd AIDS with Robin Hood Tax'€.

A Robin Hood tax is a small tax on financial transactions such as trade in bonds, currency, shares and derivatives that would create additional funding for the fight to end AIDS.

Economic experts have shown that such a tax would not harm financial markets and would be simple to design and implement. A range of countries already have similar taxes, including the United Kingdom and France.

In an earlier session on Wednesday morning, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria '€” the largest multilateral funding mechanism in the fight against the three diseases '€” expressed support for such a tax to generate, through individual funding, the billions of dollars required to support a massive increase in life-saving HIV treatment and prevention services.

Clinton continued speaking after the protest ended. The former president also made a tribute to the victims of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.

'€œWe honor the life and the service of those we lost,'€ he said.

An activist from the Coalition PLUS said: '€œPresident Clinton addressed today that ending AIDS would take a partnership.'€ The financial industry, however, has so far refused to do its part.

'€œThe Robin Hood tax would finally ensure that the rhetoric on ending AIDS would become reality. People with HIV and communities at greatest risk of HIV infection around the world are waiting for life-saving treatments and services but global leaders are failing to act,'€ he said.

Members of the Robin Hood Tax Coalition strongly believe that a small tax on bankers and financial institutions could make a huge difference to the lives of HIV-positive people and people who have AIDS in the world'€™s poorest countries.

The coalition has been campaigning aggressively for a Financial Transactions Tax (FTT), a levy of between 0.5 and 0.005 percent on all financial products that are traded.