An interview I did about PTE with Chicago's NPR affiliate aired last week. It was part of the Global Activism segemnt of the Worldview program. I talked about PTE's history and some general thoughts about where we are and where we want to be. To hear the whole interview click on the following link:
On July 24th in Beijing, PTE and the Institute of Child and Adolescent Health at Peking University (ICAH) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) stating their shared goal of researching, developing and implementing HIV/AIDS education programs in Chinese schools. Both PTE and ICAH agreed that in the absence of a cure, education is the most effective tool in preventing the spread of the HIV virus and improving the lives of those already infected.
On Saturday, July 14th PTE helds its annual summer wine tasting fundraiser sponsored by the South African embassy. 125 guests turned out to taste 5 South African wines, dine on some great food from Tim's Texas Roadhouse and take part in the bountiful raffle.
The event was sponsored by The South African Embassy, Tim's Texas Roadhouse, ASC fine wines, SAB Miller and SA Michael Diamonds.
Funds raised during the event will be used for the development of HIVZX.com, PTE's online HIV/AIDS peer counseling center.
The Prize Table
Part of the Lasso Fundraising Game
Drawing for the Raffle Prizes
The Raffle Ticket Saleswoman
Dancing to some South African Tunes
In a growing theme the global media is focusing more and more attention on the need for HIV/AIDS education. PTE believes that HIV/AIDS education is a necessary component in all efforts to control the spread of the HIV virus and improve the lives of those already infected. Education is a glue that will hold together country wide efforts to help China avert a generalized epidemic.
China's Lack of HIV/AIDS Awareness Undermines Control Programs
Dune Lawrence, Bloomberg, 9 April 2007
April 9 (Bloomberg) — Two-thirds of China's 1.3 billion people
don't know how to protect themselves against HIV, undermining the
nation's efforts to stem the spread of the virus that causes AIDS.
HIV/AIDS cases are increasing by 30 percent a year in China, with
84,000 new infections and 25,000 deaths recorded last year,
according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies. The data was presented by the aid organization
at a forum in Beijing late last week.
Programs have failed to improve awareness of the disease and to
control its spread. Last year, 3 billion yuan ($388 million) was
spent on HIV projects, equal to the cost of building 20 kilometers
(12 miles) of road in Beijing, said Jing Jun, an adviser to the
government on AIDS policy and director of the Social Policy Research
Institute at Tsinghua University.
“China is entering a stage of AIDS fatigue,'' Jing told the forum.
“China is facing an enormous task, and we can't claim that we have
won the battle, or even have a draw with the AIDS epidemic.''
At least 650,000 people in China are estimate to be living with HIV,
or the equivalent of 0.1 percent of adults aged 15 to 49, according
to the United Nations. That compares with the global prevalence of 1
percent.
“The government, in a very short period of time, has developed
policies which are excellent,'' Henk Bekedam, the World Health
Organization's representative in China, told the forum. “While
China is very much promoting intervention programs, it's also very
clear that those intervention programs are not having good
coverage.''
Sexual Transmission
While shared needles used by injecting drug users are the dominant
cause of HIV transmission in China, accounting for about 38 percent
of infections, sexual transmission is becoming the leading cause of
new infections, said He Jinglin, Country Officer for UNAIDS in
China.
“It's really changing in China,'' He said. In the past, injecting
drug users and those donating blood were most at risk of infection,
He said.
China had about 320 government-run clinics using methadone to treat
drug addiction at the end of last year. Another 1,200 are needed to
ensure adequate coverage, Bekedam said, adding that 75 percent of
those living in China don't understand how AIDS is spread or how to
protect themselves.
“China has made 10-fold more money available for HIV/AIDS over the
last two to four years,'' he said. “I'm not saying that's enough,
but I do also want to note that in the provinces where we go, many
counties have money but they don't know what to do with it.''
Great to see the Hubei provincial education department getting in line with the PTE theory of preventing AIDS through education! Although we really didn't have any direct influence on this particular advance it is reassuring to see the idea catching on in China. See the full article below:
Education best protection against infection
China Daily, 6 April 2007
Preventing AIDS through education! That's exactly what the Hubei
provincial educational department is doing. It has introduced a set
of questions on HIV in entrance tests for institutes of higher
learning, forcing students to learn more about the disease.
One of last year's questions was on how HIV could be transmitted:
through intercourse or blood transfusion, or from an infected mother
to her to be born child.
The move to use education to fight AIDS follows UN warning that the
youth are particularly susceptible to contracting HIV. Last year
about 40 percent of the 4.3 million newly infected people across the
world were between the ages of 15 and 24.
A China Children's Press and Publication Group survey shows Chinese
youth's knowledge of HIV/AIDS is far from enough. In fact, 25
percent of 3,000 respondents, all from primary and middle schools,
said their chances of contracting HIV were, at best, minimal. Given
the threat and poor knowledge of HIV among the country's youth,
Hubei's thrust on education to prevent AIDS is exemplary.
Wang Yi, of Shuiguohu Senior Middle School in Wuhan, will take her
university entrance exam this year. She concedes that though she had
learnt a lot about HIV/AIDS from the media and experts' lectures,
she still looked out for latest information. The questions have
helped "me raise my awareness about AIDS", she says.
That is precisely why Hubei's education department introduced such
questions, says its deputy director-general Huang Jian. The move is
the best way to raise youth's awareness of HIV/AIDS and help teach
them the ways of protection.
Students' interest in the subject can be gauged by last year's pass
rate: 62 percent of the 45,000 got all the questions right.
Hubei's inter-departmental cooperation to prevent the spread of AIDS
is part of a program initiated by China AIDS Roadmap Tactical
Support (CHARTS), under the office of the State Council HIV/AIDS
Prevention Committee, which has allocated close to 2 million yuan
($250,000) for the program.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2007-04/06/content_844578.htm
From the Xinhua news service:
UNICEF: Chinese young people need more anti-AIDS/HIV knowledge
Xinhua News Agency, 29 March 2007
BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) — Chinese young people need more
knowledge on how to prevent the spread of AIDS/HIV, said Dr. Yin Yin
Nwe, resident representative of UNICEF here Thursday.
UNICEF received a donation of one million yuan (125,000 U.S.
dollars) from M.A.C, a brand of the world's top cosmetics
manufacturer Estee Lauder Group, to better help young Chinese in the
fight against AIDS/HIV.
Nwe said about 80 percent of new HIV cases were reported in young
people aged 15 to 24. In 2005 alone, China reported 70,000 new HIV
cases.
"Despite the great efforts of the Chinese government, many Chinese
young people still know little about AIDS/HIV or how to prevent the
disease," said Nwe. "Ignorance is the biggest enemy to AIDS/HIV
campaign".
A UNICEF survey of more than 2,000 middle school students in a major
city in 2006 showed as many as 40 percent used no protection
measures when having sex for the first time.
"UNICEF has been actively seeking partners to launch the anti-
AIDS/HIV campaign among young people in China," Nwe said.
She said M.A.C launched an AIDS/HIV foundation in 1994 and had
worked with UNICEF since. In China, they had tried to publicize
basic knowledge of AIDS/HIV prevention.
Nwe said everyone would come to recognize that AIDS/HIV was a global
threat that could be conquered only by eliminating discrimination
caused by ignorance.
This year, M.A.C invited Li Yuchun, winner of the "Super Girl"
singing contest and three Chinese actresses to represent its anti-
AIDS/HIV foundation. They will visit UNICEF AIDS/HIV prevention
programs.
Nwe said UNICEF also invited 100 people from Chinese schools and
communities to help promote understanding of the campaign against
AIDS/HIV.
Since 1994, M.A.C has donated all the sales revenues of VIVA GLAM
lipstick to the international campaign against AIDS/HIV,
contributing more than 70 million U.S. dollars in total.
China reported 183,733 HIV/AIDS cases in 2006, up 30 percent from
2005. Experts from the Ministry of Health estimate there are
actually 650,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in China.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-03/29/content_5914325.htm
PTE is set to expand its program using University students to teach HIV/AIDS education in migrant schools around Beijing beginning March 23rd. The program will be expanded to include 5 new schools located in Northwest Beijing. Classes are taught by University students using PTE materials over a four week period. The classes center on basic HIV/AIDS information with a specific focus on anti-stigma/discrimination.
PTE is pleased to announce that they have been selected to receive support from Merck Pharmeceutical's Partnership for Giving. Specifically made possible through the great people of the Asian Pacific Network (an active Merck employee organization) PTE will receive donations from Merck employees whose contributions are then matched in kind by Merck. It is a wonderful opportunity to recieve valuable support for our HIV/AIDS education projects in China and the dedicated commitment of the Asia Pacific Network and Merck will be a tremendou help to PTE.
On Saturday November 11th, PTE conducted its first workshop in a program to train university students in Beijing to provide HIV/AIDS education to children in "migrant schools." Students at migrant schools are children of some of the millions of migrant workers who have come to Beijing to work primarily in the construction and service industry. The families are often very poor and many students will not study past the 7th or 8th grade before leaving to start work themselves. Migrant schools vary greatly in quality and size. They are private businesses run outside of the structure of the normal education system and as a result quality of education can be very poor.
Twenty-two university students completed the training course and will start conducting HIV/AIDS education courses in six migrant schools around Beijing this month. Their training included an in depth introduction to PTE's education as well as step by step guidance for how to implement the programs in the classroom. The university students will work together in pairs to teach classes varying in size from 30-55 students.
There will be a fundraising event held on Friday October 27th in Washington DC at Solly's U Street Tavern (on the corner of 11th and U). A $20 cover will be charged at the door which includes a free drink ticket, exclusive access to the bar as well as great specials. All proceedes will benefit PTE as part of our 30 for 30 campaign where we work to raise $30,000 to teach 30,000 kids about HIV.
(Solly's Tavern is about a block from the U Street green line metro stop. It's on the south east corner of 11th and U. The best way to get there is to take the green line to U street and walk one block)
Still can't figure it out? Call Dan at 608 217 3104
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