Kidzpositive had the privilege of being invited by Chinese Anthropologist Mr. Yu Cheng from Sun Yat Sen University in Guanzhou City to review a project on children and HIV in China. In China the epidemic is just beginning but there is concern that as in South Africa it will spread quickly. Reports here in China say that there are very few children who are HIV positive. This is because of the particular nature of the epidemic in China. Only one child is born to each family. Kidzpositive believes that helping one child is the first step in helping many. Every child counts and our experience in South Africa is that when you offer care and treatment to children with HIV others then come forward for treatment as well. They are reassured in the knowledge they will be helped. As an epidemic grows it is important to have support programmes in place especially for children and their parents because they are so vulnerable.

Here then is my journey into China to speak to Chinese doctors and anthropologists and to find out how we in South Africa can share our experiences and help them. We hope that in the event that their epidemic grows they will feel positive about tackling the disease. The children and their families may then find their own hope in this attitude.

My first stay was in a very old city Guanzhou at a famous university, Sun Yat Sen University. Mr Yixin Li a Chinese anthropologist and his assistant Mr. Ma Qiming have taken me into the poorer parts of the city. It is here, in these narrow streets and apartment buildings - part of the old city - that it is feared that most of the people who are infected are living. The streets are very picturesque and people live their lives selling wares from shops and caring for their families. They are very poor. In China people are afraid to come forward to be tested because of the stigma. Mr. Li believes that most people would not even think that they are suffering from HIV. This is of concern because with HIV it is important that people do not hide away but come forward for testing and treatment. If this does not happen then we will have more children born who are infected. So, in these narrow streets and homes where most live in poverty, we need to think how we can encourage them to be aware of their status.

My second visit has been to Shenzhen city. This is a beautiful modern city. It is chaotic with people and traffic going everywhere. Here too are old areas where many are poor. I was hosted in the city by Dr. Zeng, Director of the Shenzhen Institute of Family Planning and Dr. Zhou, Chief Pysician and Deputy Director of Shenzhen Institute for Dermato-venereology. They have agreed that it is important that we all use the Kidzpositive programme to bring support to children in China who needs care and treatment. This is just a small beginning but a support programme will be put in place. Hopefully we will never have more than a few children on anti-retroviral treatment but if we need to start a project like our beadwork project to bring food and money to the mothers we will do so. Perhaps one day we will have oregami or Chinese folded paper cards going out to the world from women who are in need. However we do this, through our discussions and collaboration we are determined to find ways to tackle the problems that we have because of HIV. We will find ways of doing this through this programme.

Author: Lauraine Vivian