Always keep red ribbon in sight
Li Xing China Daily  Updated: 2005-12-01 06:14

I am wearing a small red ribbon this morning to remind myself and others around me that today is World AIDS Day.

The red ribbon, an international symbol of AIDS awareness, is gaining increasing public recognition as more Chinese, from top leaders to movie stars, wear it today.

Gone were the days when the topic of HIV/AIDS was a public and media taboo. Over the past few years, we have watched, read and heard many stories from doctors, volunteers and public health officials at the forefront of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

Quite a few people with HIV/AIDS have come forward to share their experiences on TV or in the media.

The local and central governments have become more forthcoming with their new prevention and treatment programmes, and financial input. The latter rose from less than 1 million yuan (US$121,000) in 1986 to a pledge of 800 million yuan (US$98.8 million) this year.

The Ministry of Health is also deliberating on a national legal decree on the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, further demonstrating the official commitment on an epidemic that has become hazardous to public health.

The change from silence to public and media campaigns with official promises has been remarkable, especially since China battled through the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) crisis two years ago.

But have we got a full grip on HIV/AIDS? What do we know about the extent of HIV/AIDS in China?

The figures, ranging from confirmed cases to estimates, remain debated. After all, no more than a year has passed since the policy of free medical tests was made public. Unknown numbers from the high-risk groups drug addicts and people working in sex-related venues as well as farmers who once sold blood could still be reluctant to come forward.

Other questions hit close to home which test how much the ordinary people understand about HIV/AIDS.

For instance, are we going to buy vegetables from a stall whose owner has been found to carry HIV? Are we going to send our children to school if one of their teachers is infected with HIV?

I attended some lectures at which some participants said they'd go to other groceries for vegetables as there are so many others out there. In fact, the mother of the longest living AIDS patient in China, who died in October in Chongqing, lost customers even though she was the only supporter of the family.

And they'd hate to have a teacher with HIV heading their children's class. The argument was that HIV/AIDS remains associated in some ways with lifestyles against social norms and established social ethics. And teachers are required to follow them.

As the public confronts these complex issues, the central and local governments are duty-bound to do all they can not only to help the people with HIV/AIDS but also assist the public in acquiring full understanding of the epidemic and its possible impact upon families and society.

The provincial government of Yunnan has done well to muster the courage to announce last week that HIV/AIDS is spreading into the general population in the province, which already has the largest number of residents with HIV/AIDS in China and also arguably the largest group of drug addicts.

Such candidness is the first step towards building up the resolve for effective prevention and treatment, in addition to wearing a red ribbon today. And we must keep the red ribbon in our sight even if we do not wear it.

In particular, all young people should be told the meaning of the red ribbon, and be provided with access to the information, education and services necessary to develop the life skills required to reduce their vulnerability to HIV infection.

Email: lixing@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 12/01/2005 page4)