The United Nations Development Programme and the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center are partnering with the National Basketball Association on a Chinese multimedia HIV/AIDS anti-stigma campaign featuring NBA All-Star Yao Ming and Chinese film actor Pu Cunxin.

As part of UNDP's overall regional efforts to engage the arts and commercial media sector to reduce stigma and raise awareness, and in collaboration with UNICEF, UNESCO and multisector partners in China, this new campaign includes the distribution throughout China of over 200,000 Yao Mingand Pu Cunxin "We Are Friends" anti-stigma posters, and the development of a HIV/AIDS resource kit containing the 10 Facts on AIDS, an HIV/AIDS discussion guide and mini-documentary.

Designed by people living with HIV, university students and members of the NGO community, the new poster shows Yao Ming and Pu Cunxin together with young people from AIDS-affected communities with the message: We have the same feelings, the same dreams, the same life. HIV/AIDS will not affect our friendship. We Are Friends!

"We trust this campaign will help disseminate our common stand for positive action, care and full integration of people living with HIV and AIDS in our global society," says Alessandra Tisot, UNDP senior deputy resident representative in China.

This innovative and cross cutting campaign builds on the previous public service announcement and the "We Are Friends" poster campaign which featured both Yao Ming and NBA legend Magic Johnson. In conjunction with the Ministry of Health, NBA Cares, ADARC, local NGOs and several Chinese commercial media organizations, the previous PSA and posters were distributed throughout China and assisted in the education on HIV/AIDS prevention while dispelling misconceptions about the spread of the disease.

"Important partnerships like these give the NBA an opportunity to use the international power of our brand and the celebrity of our players to have a direct impact on the critical issues facing communities all over the world," said NBA Senior Vice President Kathy Behrens.

This wide-ranging campaign aims to advocate the reduction of stigma associated with HIV and AIDS among the general population, and to promote the inclusion of family members, neighbors, co-workers and friends living with HIV and AIDS and their families into our homes, schools, workplaces and communities.

Dr. David Ho, director of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center says, "I commend Yao Ming and Pu Cunxin for using their super-star status to such a positive purpose. I am hopeful that the images in this campaign will encourage Chinese people to overcome their fear and treat those affected by HIV as friends and equals."

Based on their national networks and reach into local communities, the National Population and Family Planning Commission, the China Association of Ethnic Economy under the State Ethnic Affairs Commission and the China HIV/AIDS Information Network, a non-governmental organization, are the national co-partners for the distribution of the posters.

The National Population and Family Planning Commission will distribute posters through its network of county level maternal health centers and community health clinics across the country, as well as current HIV prevention and awareness projects.

The China Association of Ethnic Economy has translated the posters into the Tibetan, Uygur and Jingbo (Yunnan) minority languages. These translated posters will be distributed to ethnic minority urban areas, minority schools, and during ethnic minority festivals in Gansu Province, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and in Yunnan Province, respectively.

To increase the impact and sustained use of these materials, UNICEF and UNESCO worked with the China HIV/AIDS Information Network to develop a teacher-friendly discussion guide around materials from the current and previous Yao Ming anti-stigma campaigns, including posters and the award-winning Yao Ming / Magic Johnson mini-documentary.

These materials will be integrated into existing HIV prevention and awareness initiatives in China, including UNICEF and UNESCO's "Life Skills Education in a Box" program. In 2007, this program is expected to reach over 500,000 young people through school and community peer education activities.

As China's largest HIV/AIDS information resource center, CHAIN will also disseminate the materials to over 500 local NGOs and community-led peer education groups and private sector workplace education programs.

"This campaign is unique in that it relies on the joint efforts of three UN agencies, two national level government organizations, the private sector and both a international NGO and Chinese NGO to distribute and integrate these materials into existing HIV prevention and awareness program across China," added Edmund Settle, HIV/AIDS programme manager, UNDP China.

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