In the Time of AIDS, A Nonstop Crusader

The next evening, she has ditched the pricey, shimmery gold Stuart Weitzman flats she uses to race around at mach speed for an elegant, open-toed black pair, and she has also, uncharacteristically, ditched a strict adherence to numbers. There might not be scientific proof that reducing abuse of women in Africa or teaching Afghan girls to be engineers -- two projects close to her heart -- lead to lower AIDS infection rates, but "so what," she says.

"We need the evidence, but we also ought to do the right thing," she says. "Sometimes we do things because we just know it's the right thing to do."

Seconds later, she's out the door of the big conference room. She's got three parties to get to, an award to hand out and a driver waiting. But first she wants to say hi to the Indian health minister, of course. On the way, she pauses for a minute-and-a-half of consultation with a pal from Thailand.

"I can meet you in Bangkok," he calls out to her as she disappears into the crowd.

Half an hour later, she drops into the U.N. Red Ribbon Awards dinner between the tortilla soup and the main course. Twenty minutes pass and her assistant is calling the driver. It's time to go.

"Really?" he asks.

Back in the car, they race to another reception, and Gayle is talking about how CARE can be more effective advocating for change than delivering services. Then she goes silent, back inside her multitasking head. The only sounds are the Mexico City traffic and her fingernails on the BlackBerry.