Bill Gates became a huge benefactor to the cause of AIDS research and assistance. He contributed bountifully to form a partnership with governmental agencies in Botswana, which is heavily afflicted with AIDS. He created a foundation to help people get the medical attention necessary to live a better quality of life while wrestling with this virus.
Shocking though it may seem there was a bit of controversy in the 1980s as to whether or not AIDS was really caused by the HIV virus. Some scientists blamed a weakening of the immune systems of people on the development of disease and others just thought it was a different virus.
Eventually science was able to prove the validity of the theory that HIV indeed causes AIDS.
Nelson Mandela was also a big proponent of AIDS activism, outreach and education. George Bush, Jr. was an activist against the spread of the AIDS virus.
https://www.empowher.com/aids-hiv/content/brief-history-aids