China Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (CAP+) Statement on
Real-Name Testing Policy for HIV/AIDS
For those following the uproar about proposed policies in Guangxi, endorsed the Ministry of Health, that would institute real-name HIV testing and compulsory partner notification (summary on our blog, here); below is a strong statement with reference to Chinese laws by China’s national association of people living with HIV/AIDS. A short summary in English follows.
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 Sara L.M. Davis
In his recent New York Times op-ed, Paul Farmer calls for increased funding for
the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. He’s right, but to
really put muscle into the fight against HIV/AIDS, the Global Fund also needs
to change its top-down approach to funding, given the reality that HIV/AIDS
specifically targets the most marginalized people in any society.
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.
By Sara L.M. Davis
In November 2006, Chinese AIDS activist Li Dan sent me an email in New York. I had met this young Chinese PhD student turned AIDS activist once or twice, most recently at a dinner honoring him as a recipient of the Reebok Human Rights Award.
“We’re thinking of starting an AIDS law center in Beijing,” he wrote in his message. “Do you know anyone who might be interested?”
I did – in fact, I had just come home from having coffee with Jonathan Cohen of the Open Society Institute, who had mentioned an interest in funding an AIDS law project in China. That project launched both Li Dan’s Korekata AIDS Law Center and Asia Catalyst.
