BANGKOK, July 16 (Xinhuanet) -- South Africa's former president Nelson Mandela on Friday afternoon highlighted the closing ceremony of the XV International AIDS Conference by calling for individual contribution and leadership commitment in the fight against the epidemic.

    "Ask yourselves what you can do as global citizens in the fightagainst HIV and AIDS. We must never forget our own responsibilities," said the popular statesman who previously declared to retire from public life on his 86th birthday coming soon.

    "I cannot rest until I am certain that the global response is sufficient to turn the tide of the epidemic," he said at the end of the world's largest meeting on the epidemic, which had a total of 19,000 participants.

    Relating the world's current battle against HIV/AIDS to his past fight against racial discrimination in South Africa, Mandela reminded people that "the apartheid regime tried to reduce us to prison numbers and so reduce our humanity."

    "We called upon you--that is every global citizen--not to forget the millions of people suffering from HIV and AIDS and not to reduce them to mere statistics," stressed the frail leader who walked on to the podium with help of a crutch.

    "We share a common humanity with our brothers and sisters suffering in this epidemic."

    An estimated 38 million people are now living with HIV/AIDS, while only 40,000 or 7 percent of the patients needing treatment are now receiving the necessary antirevitroviral treatment, according to the UNAIDS.

    Mandela, who attended a news briefing and the charity concert on Thursday to urge more fund to combat the epidemic, repeated hiscall for financial commitment to the battle.

    "This applies not only to governments, but also to the private sector and private foundations...no amount of money is too small to make a difference."

    The 6-day international conference have witnessed almost daily demonstration asking large pharmaceutical companies, the US government and other developed countries to help cut down drug prices and increase fund for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

    Mandela also called countries to develop their own comprehensive prevention and care programs, affirming "the overriding importance of strong leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS".

    "There could be no better birthday gift than knowing that thereis renewed commitment from leaders in every sector of society to take real and urgent action against AIDS," said the highly-esteemed leader when talking about his birthday falling on Sunday.

    The XV International AIDS conference closed here on Friday afternoon with participants adopting a Bangkok Leadership Statement, which urged leaders around the world for more politicalcommitment to tackle the epidemic that has claimed lives of 2.9 million people in last year alone. Enditem