China Red Cross Launches Three-Year Program To Increase HIV/AIDS Awareness, Prevent New Cases

Main Category: HIV / AIDS
Article Date: 02 Apr 2008 - 11:00 PDT

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The Red Cross Society of China on Friday launched a three-year nationwide initiative that aims to increase HIV/AIDS awareness and prevent new cases of the disease, Xinhua/China Daily reports. According to Yang Xusheng, director of RCSC's HIV/AIDS prevention office, the initiative is in response to recent data that indicate HIV/AIDS cases are increasing in the country. "It's clear the spread of the virus, increasing through sexual transmission, is being fueled by a continuing lack of awareness about the disease," Yang said.

The initiative aims to increase HIV/AIDS awareness through education and community mobilization projects that will reach 27 million people through 2010, Jiang Yiman, RCSC vice president, said. The initiative also will provide home-based care and support to 90,000 HIV-positive people and their families, according to Xinhua/China Daily. In addition, it aims to reduce HIV/AIDS-related discrimination in the country. "As a global leader on many issues, the wisdom and determination with which China addresses many dimensions of HIV -- medical, social, economic, human rights -- will influence others around the world to adopt evidence-based policies and practices," Mukesh Kapila, special representative of the secretary general of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said (Xinhua/China Daily, 3/28).

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