According to The Global Times, the HIV/AIDS initiative jointly launched by the Gates Foundation and the Chinese government has been criticized in China.
The Global Times quoted a report on the Chinese language website of the Voice of America that said that some NGOs and activists in China have criticized the initiative by saying that it was not scientifically designed and was inefficient. The critics even said that the program was used by some to obtain money by false pretenses.
Launched in 2007 with USD50 million in funding from the Gates Foundation, the China-Gates HIV/AIDS initiative aims develop comprehensive prevention measures to stop the spread of the HIV/AIDS disease. According to the Voice of America, some NGOs reportedly said that the initiative had trained a group of people who work only for money as it encourages people of high risk groups to volunteer to have their blood tested by offering them payment. Some activists have called on people to resist the initiative. Some critics even said that the Foundation "destroyed the conscience of the Chinese HIV/AIDS community and murdered the spirit of Chinese volunteers and NGOs."
However, Dai Zhicheng, the honorary director of the Chinese Association of STD & AIDS Prevention and Control, has stated to local media that the program has been fully accredited in China and it is a great innovation in the field as it involves a truly community participation by bringing together the efforts of government departments, non-governmental organizations, grass-roots organizations, and volunteers.
