Red and Alive 2007

DHIVERSE, hosted a delegation from the Chinese Ministry of Health. The five person delegation included representatives from the Central Health Ministry and the Center of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control, representatives also attended from the Health Bureaux in the Jilin province.

The visit was part of The China AIDS Roadmap Tactical Support Project organised by the Department of International Development to develop China’s strategic capacity to deliver an effective coordinated response to HIV/AIDS.

It is estimated that over 650,000 people are infected with HIV in China and the country is experiencing one of the most rapidly expanding HIV epidemics in the world. Experts have predicted that there could be over 10 million people living with HIV by 2010 unless effective prevention measures are taken.

The delegation from China visited to learn how national strategy was implemented regionally and locally and from the effective programmes of prevention and support that have existed in the UK for many years. This learning will be used to inform the strategic planning process of HIV prevention and support in China.

DHIVERSE has been working to prevent HIV and support those with the virus in Cambridgeshire and the East of England since 1986, when it opened as the Cambridge AIDS Helpline. Although the work of the charity is based mainly in the Eastern Region, HIV is a global problem, making visits like this important to share learning from both countries.
Mr Hao Yang, the leader of the delegation and the Deputy Director of the Bureau of Disease Control within the Chinese Ministry of Health said, “It is excellent what you do here, it has been a great learning experience for us all.”

DHIVERSE General Manager, Luke Mallett, said of the visit "Whilst the mission and work of DHIVERSE is based here within the East of England we recognise the fight against HIV as being global. DHIVERSE has long been involved in supporting overseas projects, and campaigning on global issues. It is good that the learning from successful projects hear in East Anglia can be shared with overseas agencies, to support them in building their programmes to tackle HIV and sexual ill-health."