Sydney Opera House lit red for World AIDS Day (photo courtesy of Creative Commons).

Obama made the announcement at a World AIDS Day event in Washington.

"We can beat this disease. We can win this fight," Obama said. "We have to keep at it, today, tomorrow and every day until we get to zero."

The new set goal is higher than the previous goal of 4 million people treated globally.

According to Reuters, annual funding for HIV and AIDS programs fell to $15 billion last year. United Nations agencies said $22 billion to $24 billion is needed by 2015.

Obama said funding for HIV and AIDS treatment in the U.S. will get a $50 million increase. Reuters reported that a White House official said the funds would come from existing resources and won't require congressional approval.

In terms of overseas initiatives, the U.S. aims to get antiretroviral drugs to 1.5 million HIV-positive pregnant women to prevent them from passing HIV to their unborn children, the Associated Press reported. Over the next two years, the U.S. aims to distribute more than 1 billion condoms in developing countries and fund 4.7 million voluntary medical male circumcisions in eastern and southern Africa. Research shows circumcisions reduce the risk of women transmitting the virus to men by more than 60 percent.

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