Somewhere The River Rages

HIV and AIDS in China 2008

Currently the estimated number of HIV infected people in China is between approximately 430,000 to 1.5 million. Although the current population has been estimated to be 1.7 billion, the HIV epidemic is already well established among populations of injecting drug-users and sexual transmission is beginning to grow. China largely dominates the HIV/AIDS pandemic in East Asia. In 1983 it was recorded that the first Chinese person had been infected with HIV and in June 1985 China recorded its first death of an AIDS patient. The main spread of HIV has been among intravenous drug users, sex-workers and men who have sex with other men. These communities represent a part of Chinese society, which isn’t often spoken about. This is due mainly to ignorance and misunderstanding, and causes a large problem with education and prevention. The HIV infection rate in China has been rising severely and the potential impact of a serious outbreak in a country as vast as this would be devastating not just for its own but also the world’s economy. Due to China hosting the Olympics this year, it has received a great deal of media attention. The image of the ruling communist party in China remains powerful therefore the instinct to keep bad news hidden, to protect powerful officials from embarrassment is still prevalent. China has made remarkable progress in the development and implementation of effective intervention strategies, especially since 2004. The country is currently in a transition stage in its HIV policy development. It is increasingly adopting approaches that are based on scientific evidence and has encouraged the pilot testing of controversial methods of risk reduction (e.g., methadone maintenance treatment, needle exchange programmes, and the targeting of men who have sex with men and sex workers).

There are charities currently doing great work in China, and one of these is the AIDS Alliance who I worked with on this project. This project was based in the southwest of China. The cities I worked in were Nanning, Geiju and Chungdu. These places were very urban. You could see the evidence of the economic growth and change China is going through. Most of the old buildings have been razed, replaced by the new and modern. You can feel the unquenchable thirst of the Chinese people for transformation and affluence. Everybody seems to drive, and I witnessed mile-long queues of commuters waiting to fill their cars with petrol. The people are progressing toward more modern forms of transport and many roads in China are in need of maintenance and upgrading. The need for petrol has risen with the peoples’ rising expectations. Throughout the changes in China and the inevitable westernisation of its cities, it seems there is still an inherent desire for the country to keep hold of its identity. Under the veil of prosperity I encountered parts of the community who were not spoken of. These people had a real need and hope for change in peoples’ attitudes and perception. They had enthusiasm and desire to make it happen throughout my time in China I sensed a lot of optimism from the people that things could improve. I also got a sense that there are people who didn’t wish to be identified, for fear of being stigmatised and possibly ostracised from the larger community. The people I met had a sense of belonging, family and comradeship. They represented a community within the larger community. The help of the AIDS Alliance has provided the financial resources and education for these people to put their vision of the future into place. There is a passing on of knowledge and experience by the counsellors, many of which are ex-methadone addicts. A lot of the counselling was to offer support to HIV infected individuals and methadone addicts. There were blood-testing programs in place along with the education offered, to strive to work towards prevention. Many charity workers I worked with also delivered food to the hospitals and visited AIDS sufferers there. Without types of projects and support of these groups I’m sure these people would feel isolated and lonely. The problem would be unmanageable, and the vastness of it would remain unidentified. Charities like the AIDS Alliance help support and fund projects that give people a sense of belonging, a place within the mass of this vast country. The subject of HIV/AIDS is a subject that cannot often be spoken about, due to discrimination and a great lack of understanding. The actual fact that these programs are in place means that there is prevention. There is a place of refuge and openness, where people can share and learn from each other. If not for places this, the problem would be greatly worse. This photography project of mine is for people to see that although at times China has received bad press, perhaps the individual is forgotten about. I wanted to show the face of China, which has not often been seen. I feel the work that the AIDS Alliance is doing is very important and positive, and I hope I have shown this through my pictures. I hope I have shown the spirit of the individuals I met and worked with during my time in China.

Awareness is a significant step towards change.