Piot begins by praising China and then notes that it jails HIV activists! Is there any parallel between the UNAIDS direct engagement in China and UNAIDS action for jailed activists in Myanmar?

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UNAIDS chief sees signs of progress in China
Ben Blanchard
Reuters
17 July 2007

BEIJING (Reuters) - There are signs for optimism in China's fight
against HIV/AIDS such as growing use of anti-retrovirals, but
harassment of civil society activists remains a worry, a top U.N.
official said on Tuesday.

Peter Piot, head of the United Nations AIDS agency UNAIDS, said
Chinese government and society were increasingly willing to talk
about the problem in a country where eight people become infected an
hour.

"I've been coming to China for 14 to 15 years, and I can say that
the first five, six years there was basically no receptivity," he
told a news conference. "Now today a lot is going on. Systems are
being put in place. I think it's really different.

"When you look at it, there's strong leadership. The education is
there, there is money, drugs. I think key obstacles are the size of
the country and that everyone needs to know (about the problem)," he
added.

"There are signs that the corner is being turned around for AIDS in
China, but there are some big challenges ahead."

China recorded its first outbreak of AIDS in 1989. During the 1990s,
many people -- notably in the central province of Henan --
contracted the virus through contaminated blood transfusions.

An estimated 650,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS in China, and
health experts say the disease is moving into the general population
with most new infections now spread sexually, although drug-users
follow closely behind.

Wang Longde, a deputy health minister and China's AIDS chief, said
greater use of anti-retrovirals in Henan had cut the death rate in
half since 2002.

This year the government would spend 960 million yuan ($127 million)
on drugs and put more effort into education and reaching out to
China's marginalized gay community, Wang said.

"Our work has only just begun there, as infections keep going up in
this area," he added.

Beijing has traditionally been suspicious of groups it does not
control, like non-government organizations, an attitude Piot said
had to change.

He said his Beijing office had been "directly engaged" in ensuring
Chinese activists were not harassed or jailed.

"For us it's essential. You can't fight AIDS without the people who
are in the first place concerned about it," he said.

In May the government barred AIDS activist Hu Jia and his wife from
leaving the country, accusing them of endangering national security.

China was not unique in having these problems though, Piot said.

"All over the world we get basically, at least once a week, reports
of AIDS activists that are being harassed somewhere in the world, in
jail, be it in the U.S., be it in South Africa, be it in Zambia as
last week," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070717/hl_nm/china_aids_dc_1

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 UNAIDS Executive Director Piot Praises China's Efforts in Fighting HIV/AIDS, Calls for Continued Efforts

     UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot on Tuesday praised China's efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS but said that the country still faces "big challenges" in combating the disease, Reuters reports. According to Piot, the country has made progress in increasing access to antiretroviral drugs, and the government and society are increasingly willing to address China's HIV/AIDS situation. "I've been coming to China for 14 to 15 years, and I can say that the first five, six years there was basically no receptivity," Piot said, adding, "Now, today, a lot is going on. Systems are being put in place. I think it's really different." There also is "strong leadership" in China, Piot said, adding, "The education is there. There is money, drugs. I think key obstacles are the size of the country and that everyone needs to know" about the issue.

Piot also said that harassment of civil society advocates is a concern, according to Reuters. UNAIDS' Beijing office has been "directly engaged" in making efforts to ensure that HIV/AIDS advocates are not harassed or imprisoned, according to Piot. "You can't fight AIDS without the people who are in the first place concerned about it," he said. Piot added that China is not the only country with such issues.

Deputy Health Minister Wang Longde, who also serves as the country's HIV/AIDS chief, on Tuesday said that China this year plans to spend 960 million yuan, or about $127 million, on antiretroviral drugs, as well as increase HIV education efforts. The government also plans to reach out to men who have sex with men, Wang said (Blanchard, Reuters, 7/17).

Piot on Monday was in China's Henan province to inspect regional clinics and elementary schools. He also visited two families affected by the disease to assess their medical treatment and daily lives, Xinhua/People's Daily reports. In addition, Piot visited a government-funded charity, called the "Sunlight Home," which incorporates 20 orphanages that provide housing, living expenses, psychological consultations and vocational training to more than 1,000 AIDS orphans in Shanghai.

"During this tour, I have seen ... how the government supports those AIDS patients and cares about those AIDS-affected orphans," Piot said, adding, "I pay respect to all the efforts, which are consistent with the commitment the Chinese government has made in the sector" (Xinhua/People's Daily, 7/17).

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