Alliance China

3/23 provinces

Alliance China, set up in Kunming in October 2003, works with 45 partner organisations in ten cities across three provinces: Yunnan, Sichuan and Guangxi.

China has a low adult prevalence (0.1%) but a large number of people living with HIV (around 700,000). The epidemic disproportionately affects people who inject drugs, sex workers and men who have sex with men. Rapidly growing infection rates among sex workers indicate a burgeoning sexually transmitted epidemic.

Although HIV has been detected in all 22 provinces and municipalities of China, three quarters of people living with HIV are in five provinces, and 90% of infections among injecting drug users are in seven provinces.

There is a general consensus that the national response to HIV has improved dramatically since 2003. The government has increased funding for the response and committed to providing free treatment, care and prevention services. It is expanding its work with injecting drug users, and has taken steps to protect the rights of people living with HIV.

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

• Reached 7,232 people through HIV prevention activities in 2008
• Provided 1,245 people with home- and community-based care
• Trained 253 people to provide direct HIV/AIDS services
• Financially supported 26 organisations to work at community level
• Provided technical assistance to 78 organisations

WHAT WE DO

Community-led responses

Alliance China supports local organisations working on prevention projects with people injecting drugs, sex workers and men who have sex with men. It also supports community organisations providing care and support for people living with HIV.

Despite a challenging environment for community-led initiatives, Alliance China promotes the active involvement of affected communities in its programmes. It is supporting and building the capacity of 36 grassroots groups, managed by the local government health body, which provide HIV prevention services to marginalised groups.

Alliance China also works with two independent community organisations to implement a methadone treatment adherence support programme, and a care, support and prevention programme for men who have sex with men.