The International Olympic Committee, in cooperation with the Chinese Olympic Committee, UNAIDS, the Health Bureau of Beijing, the Chinese Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, organized the 2nd Asian Workshop on HIV & AIDS prevention through sport, held in Beijing.
Opened by the Deputy Director of State General Administration of Sport, and COC Vice President, Cai Zhenghua, this seminar brought together around 50 delegates representing ten National Olympic Committees from Asia.
This seminar was also the location to launch the Chinese version of the first Toolkit for HIV & AIDS prevention for the sports community. Jointly developed by the IOC and UNAIDS, this practical guide should reach millions of sports people in China and the region, and will help them engage in activities and programs to combat this disease.
As IOC President Jacques Rogge said in his message, "More than ever, sport can be a catalyst in our society to improve quality of life and human well-being. Because the prevention of and fight against discrimination are the two fields in which sport can clearly make a difference, and because sport breaks down barriers, builds self-esteem and can teach life skills and healthy behaviour, the sports movement has decided to join the world campaign against the HIV & AIDS epidemic."
