On World AIDS Day, (December 1st, 2010) the Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Peter Piot - formerly head of UNAIDS - speaks out in support of a push for a co-ordinated and well-funded sustained strategic response to the challenge of AIDS. He discusses the importance of World AIDS Day, priorities for the future, and lessons learned from the fight against AIDS which could be applied to the looming confrontation with chronic non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.