More than 60% of the local officials don’t know that no HIV/AIDS vaccine has come out yet;
30% agree that “HIV/AIDS infections should be quarantined”;
Nearly half tick “Yes” to the question “Do you agree that vigorous campaign on drug-control and elimination of pornography and illegal publications is the ONLY way to prevent HIV/AIDS diffusion?” 5% choose “I don’t know.”
“A few” officials have “highly dangerous and potential infectious” behaviors themselves;
To the question “To prevent HIV/AIDS infection, what would you do in your personal life?” Nearly 70% answer “Have only one sex partner.”, about 50% answer “Try not to have sex out of marriage.”, and 30% choose “Use condom during sex.”
A recent survey on 3,000 local government officials of 15 provinces was finished in October, led by Jin Wei, a HIV/AIDS policy expert and one of the key China’s central government’s think tank members on HIV/AIDS prevention. Jin Wei led a similar survey between the year 2001 and 2003 also covering local officials, and she found out that the official’s knowledge about HIV/AIDS has improved compared to the last survey result, but the discrimination and fear against the disease isn’t any less than before.
The result turned out to be shocking to the research group conducting the survey. “They are the head officials of local government, department heads of city or county management. If they don’t go out and collect information, don’t have basic knowledge, don’t think, don’t care, how do they make policies and solve problems for our people?”
One of Jin Wei’s ambitions is to add her training module on HIV/AIDS to all government and CCP local official mandatory training courses nationwide. Right now there are 22 provinces receiving this course, but not covering all cities. The feedback from the current trainees has been encouraging but there’s apparently still a long way to go.
In October, a special seminar organized by the Harbin Infectious Disease Control Center raised a storm in the city. The seminar was a HIV/AIDS prevention training for sex workers. The event was strongly opposed by Harbin Police Department because prostitution is illegal in China. However the outcome of the seminar has encouraged the Center to organize more of this kind of events. Owners or managers of some night clubs, KTVs, bars, ect have come up to them and signed up for more courses for their “xiao jie” even though they’ll have to bear the risk of being exposed to the police with their “publicly known” illegal business.
A piece of information for you: China has become the world’s fastest country in HIV/AIDS infection rate growth. Up to now the officially reported figure of HIV/AIDS infections in China is 1 million, the actual figure will be a lot more intimidating.
Articles on Nanfang Weekly in Chinese:
An HIV/AIDS Questionnaire to 3,000 Local Officials
A Controversial Government-Run “Xiao Jie” Training Seminar
