China-US Cooperation on HIV/AIDS-Global AIDS Program(GAP)

Background

The China-US Cooperation-Global AIDS Program is cooperation between the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, serving as a part of the US CDC Global AIDS Program which has cooperations with 25 countries around the world for the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of China - US Cooperation on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control was signed by the ministers of the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Ministry of Health of China in June of 2002. Under the MOU, China-US cooperation-- Global AIDS Program was launched in March 2004. The principal implementation and coordination agency of the program is the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) under the leadership of the Chinese Ministry of Health (MOH).

In 2006, the US government assisted China Global AIDS Program was integrated to “President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief” (PEPFAR), and unified the management of both GAP and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) programs in China. PEPFAR was established by President George Bush in 2003, and plans to appropriate $15 billion between 2003 and 2008 to support HIV/AIDS prevention and control in countries outside of the US. 

Goal and Objectives

Goal　

To aid the containment of localized HIV/AIDS epidemics and reduction of HIV prevalence/incidence or containment of the low-level epidemic by preventing secondary transmission from source populations to the general population.

Objectives

1) To garner greater national and local government commitment for HIV/AIDS prevention and control and support the development of comprehensive provincial HIV/AIDS surveillance systems by 2008;

2) To strengthen local public health capacity for HIV/AIDS prevention and control to ensure that by 2008, 80% of most-at-risk-populations (MARPs) and HIV positive persons receive testing, treatment and care services.

Program Strategy

§         Accelerate case-finding: Support the Government of China (GoC) to carryout prevention among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) to prevent secondary transmissions through strengthening surveillance and testing to achieve early identification of positive cases.

§         Ensure case-management: To provide intervention, treatment and care services for PLWHAs to decrease the risk of infection and prevent further transmission.

§         Strategic Framework: 

Project Cycle

The GAP runs a project in a 5-year circle. The first circle is from September 1, 2003 to August 31, 2008, with an annual budget greater than or equal to $2 million US Dollars annually.

Geographical Coverage

§         Provincial implementing units

• High prevalence provinces/autonomous regions: Anhui, Guangxi Guizhou, Henan, Xinjiang, and Yunnan
• Low prevalence provinces/autonomous regions: Beijing, Guangdong (Shenzhen), Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu, Ningxia, Qinhai, Shandong, and Tibet

Future expansion of program provinces will be based on available funding and program management capacity.

§         National implementing units

As a part of the overall program, GAP will also support national activities of relevant divisions of NCAIDS (Epidemiology, Behavioral Intervention, Treatment and Care, Reference Laboratory, International Cooperation Project Management Office, AIDS Comprehensive Response, Policy and Information, China CARES, NCAIDS Office and Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria project offices) to conduct policy research and development as well as technical capacity building for HIV/AIDS prevention and control, thus propelling the programs at the local level. 

Cooperation Principles

§   Integration with the national program: The China-US cooperation aims to strengthen the capacities of the Chinese Ministry of Health and its professional teams in disease prevention and control and promote mutual communication and cooperation between China and US.

§   Cooperation at all levels: The cooperation shall strengthen linkages between the national level and the local level to ensure that the program is well-suited to the local situation.

§   Maintain flexibility: Within the cooperation framework, project plans and funds should maintain flexibility to address the changing situation and needs of partners.

§   Service-oriented: The China-US cooperation program will provide a range of support and services to assist GoC in its fight against HIV/AIDS , including:

n          Human resources: including project officers and technical staff from the GAP China Office and US Atlanta headquarters.

n               Funding support: including funding support for the cooperation  program

n               Management and planning support: including capacity building for Chinese partners in the development of technical strategies, plans and management guidelines for interventions focusing on HIV/AIDS prevention and control.