The United Nations has hosted a ceremony to launch a joint project that aims to empower and support the significant involvement of women and men living with HIV as meaningful partners in China's multi-sector response to AIDS.
A key activity of Maries Stopes International China, the "Positive Talks" project aims to train and support a core group of 35 women and men living with HIV and AIDS from around China to serve as effective policy advocates and peer educators. They will give "positive talks" in various HIV-related advocacy, prevention, care and awareness activities initiated by different organizations such as public and private sector companies, health care centers, schools, NGOs and the media.
"Positive Talks" is supported by the United Nations Development Programme and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS through the UN Joint Programme on AIDS in China (2007 – 2010), and is implemented by the China International Center for Economics and Technology Exchange.
Widespread stigma and shame affect prevention and treatment efforts and are recognized to be major contributors to the spread of the HIV epidemic. Because HIV is often wrongly perceived as a disease exclusive to marginalized groups and judgmentally viewed as being caused by "morally blameful" behaviors, people are deterred from talking about HIV and getting tested. This attitude also makes people less likely to recognize and acknowledge their risk of infection. As a consequence, individuals who are positive are identified too late and unknowingly become channels of HIV transmission.
"There is a stronger need than ever to reach the general public and ‘humanize' the face of the HIV epidemic — presenting it as a reality that "People living with HIV have been shown to have a significant and lasting impact on people's awareness of their vulnerability to the disease, thereby changing social myths and misconceptions about HIV and AIDS," said UNAIDS Country Director Bernhard Schwartlander.
This project is funded by the UK Department for International Development, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Stora Enso, a Finland-based global forest products company.