By Jane Parry
The Chinese government has been urged to set up a compensation fund for the victims of an illegal blood selling scandal that resulted in thousands of people in central China in the 1990s being infected with HIV. A new report calls for a full and independent investigation into the number of people affected and an official apology to the people affected as well as compensation.
Read the full article here.
By Gisa Hartmann
The Wall Street Journal reports that China’s government has issued new regulations giving migrant workers new rights. The regulations, originally published in February 2011, were kept secret to give local authorities time to prepare for the expected rush for applications. The State Council circular allows some workers to register for hukou (household registration, 户口) in small and mid-sized cities.
Under the directive, workers must meet certain criteria, including a stable job and stable residence for small cities and an additional one year participation in social security payments for mid-size cities. Large cities such as Beijing
are not included. Since many public services provided in cities, including public health and public schooling, are only accessible with a hukou/registration, this change in regulation will break down barriers to access free medical services for many workers as well as their spouses and children, who are included in the household registration change.
China’s Ministry of Health announces an expansion of its essential medicines list. Looks like there will be increased access to cancer treatments, and a series of drug cost cuts. In 2002, anti-retrovirals (ARVs) were added to the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines, but no plans yet for China to add them to the list. China currently provides a limited number of first-line ARVs under the Four Frees and One Care Policy.
By Asia Catalyst
On February 8, China’s Ministry of Health and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) both expressed support for new proposed regulations in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region that would implement real-name testing for HIV, suggesting these could become national policy. Wang Yu, Director of the Chinese CDC, said that real-name HIV testing would allow health workers to follow-up with people who test positive, helping them to access treatment and prevent transmitting HIV to sexual partners.
We are concerned that without stronger confidentiality protections and stronger laws on discrimination, a move to real-name HIV testing will drive more people underground and away from government testing and treatment programs. Please sign this petition to the Ministry of Health.
According to friends of Chinese AIDS activist Tian Xi, he is expected to complete his prison sentence and be released on August 18, 2011. His family income is quite low, and they have no way to meet his medical costs. Friends and family have issued a call for donations to the following account.
Account name: TIAN Xi
Bank: Bank of China
Runan Branch 中国银行汝南支行
Account number: 254608370972
