Chinese Government To Boost Cooperation With, Support for NGOs Fighting HIV/AIDS, Health Ministry Official Says

The Chinese government plans to boost its efforts to support the work of nongovernmental organizations fighting HIV/AIDS in the country, Chen Xiaohong, vice minister of the Ministry of Health, said recently, China Daily reports. The government since 2002 has appropriated about $2.5 million for 231 NGO projects to fight the epidemic in 30 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. In addition, 72 NGOs in China have received $450,000 from the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. According to officials, about 43% of the $29 million the Global Fund has pledged to China in the latest funding round will be used to support NGO programs. "[T]he Chinese government has fully realized the active and important role of NGOs in HIV/AIDS prevention and control in the past years," Chen said, adding that the government will work to improve collaboration with the groups. According to China Daily, nearly 50 NGOs working nationwide, including the All-China Women's Federation and the China Family Planning Association, have HIV/AIDS programs. In addition, dozens of groups classified as "grass-roots organization[s]" because they are not registered with the government agencies that regulate NGOs also are fighting the epidemic in the country, Meng Lin, head of the Beijing-based HIV/AIDS support group ARK of Love, said (Zhang, China Daily, 10/4). The Chinese government estimates that there are 650,000 HIV-positive people in the country, 75,000 of whom have developed AIDS. According to the government, in 2005 there were 70,000 new HIV cases and 25,000 AIDS-related deaths. In addition, the country's current HIV/AIDS prevalence is approximately 0.05%, according to government statistics (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 8/17).