China/WHO/SIDA Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Program

Officially launched in January 2005, the China-WHO-Sida Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care Project (‘the Sida Project’) is a three-year project with 3 key objectives:

1) To provide support for strengthening the Central Government in the development of policies and strategies for HIV/AIDS prevention, care, support and treatment

2) To provide technical support in the development of national guidelines and tools for HIV/AIDS prevention, care, support and treatment

3) to support a comprehensive pilot HIV/AIDS prevention and care programme in Hunan Province in order to provide an evidence-based model for policy review at the national level, and support replication and expansion of the strategy in other provinces.

The Sida Project takes a two-tiered approach to supporting China’s response to HIV/AIDS. The central component includes national policy and strategic support to the Chinese Government, including capacity building, the development of relevant policies and technical guidelines, and the expanded application of national and international best practices. The provincial component in Hunan province includes both short-term pilot projects as well as the rapid scaling up of existing, successful approaches to HIV prevention and care.

The Swedish National Institute of Public Health (SNIPH), the Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control (SMI) and WHO have provided technical support at the national and provincial levels, with a special focus on provincial activities in Hunan. WHO and China MoH have promoted linkages and coordination between the national level and the provincial level.

China/WHO/SIDA Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Program has a total budget of USD 3.14 million from June 1, 2003 to December 31, 2007. Program components include public awareness raising; condom promotion and use; HIV counseling and testing; prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections; antiretroviral therapy; HIV/AIDS care and support; leadership development; strategic planning; and HIV comprehensive surveillance. Target populations include the general public, leaders, IDUs, MSM, migrants, young people and AIDS patients.