BEIJING: China has a very strong commitment to fight and end HIV/AIDS, said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
China’s commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS is manifested at various levels, from the top leadership to lower-level governments, from institutions to communities and the private sector, the UNAIDS chief said in an interview with Xinhua.
Byanyima, who also serves as the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, has just completed her visit to China to strengthen cooperation and achieve common goals.
During her visit, a memorandum of understanding on strategic cooperation between China and UNAIDS was signed to strengthen joint efforts in related fields.
In recent years, the Chinese government and health authorities have attached great importance to the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS, and have taken a number of measures that have produced significant results.
HIV/AIDS has come under effective control in China at a low prevalence level, with new infections and death rates falling each year.
Transmission of the disease through blood transfusions and blood products has been essentially blocked. Mother-to-child transmission and transmission through intravenous drug use have reached historic lows.
“China has a government that puts people first,” Byanyima said, believing China has the institutions, resources and political will to win the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Globally, new HIV infections and HIV-related deaths are declining. However, progress is uneven between different regions, Byanyima noted.
“Fortunately, Africa, which has the highest number of people living with HIV, is making the fastest progress,” she said. In some other regions, there has been an increase in new infections, mostly among certain vulnerable groups.
Accelerated efforts are needed to achieve the goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030 under the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
As a developing country, China plays an important role in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, Byanyima said.
China has been a member of UNAIDS since its establishment in 1996 and has played a leading role in providing advice and support to its decision-making, resources and policies, the UNAIDS chief said.
“China is making a very positive contribution to global health and especially to our fight against HIV/AIDS,” she added.
Byanyima emphasized the importance of a community-based response to HIV/AIDS in early detection of new infections and in addressing stigma and discrimination of people living with HIV.
During her time in China, she visited communities and learned how communities are working to fight AIDS in cooperation with the government, which she says is essential.
Byanyima also emphasized increasing social inclusion of people living with HIV as well as addressing gender inequality to accelerate efforts to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
