Brazil has been praised for its AIDS policies despite turning down US aid tied to conditions favoured by conservative supporters of the Bush administration.
Last year, the country turned down $40m (€33m) in US funding to fight Aids after Washington injected a clause condemning prostitution.
The move made Brazil one of the first countries to oppose the Bush administration's policy of linking foreign aid to policies backed by the religious right.
At an international conference on scientific developments, Dr Helene Gayle, the president of the International Aids Society, said Brazil was leading the way even though it had rejected some international assistance.
'Brazil, by maintaining an aggressive and comprehensive approach to HIV prevention, treatment and support is really a leader for our global effort,' she told the conference.
The conference, on HIV Pathogenesis and Treatment, opened in Rio de Janeiro yesterday.
It is jointly sponsored by the International AIDS Society, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil's Institute of Contagious Diseases.
During the meeting, specialists will discuss developments in recent years on AIDS research, prevention and therapies, as well as new methods for the application of the results for developing countries' control and prevention against the spread of the disease.
Scientists are expected to present a total of 2,060 papers on the latest developments in fighting the disease drawn from research in 114 different countries.
