GBC CHINA INITIATIVES
New Media Partnership Tackles HIV/AIDS in China
The China HIV/ AIDS Media Partnership (CHAMP) will work to mobilize the communicative power of mass media and commercial marketing to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and reduce stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV in China.
Building upon proven partnership models, including the highly successful Russian Media Partnership to Combat HIV/AIDS led by Transatlantic Partners Against AIDS (TPAA) – an non-profit organization that is now merging with GBC – CHAMP will be a unique collaboration between media companies, private businesses, NGOs, the government sector and UN agencies.
The program aims to:
- Increase coverage of HIV/AIDS issues in Chinese media, including in television, radio, print, internet and outdoor advertising.
- Improve awareness and understanding of HIV/AIDS by the Chinese public.
- Foster a more conducive environment for public dialogue on HIV/AIDS, including reducing in stigma and discrimination based on HIV status.
The first phase of CHAMP is focusing on the production and distribution of two public service announcements (PSAs). GBC will work with the Chinese Ministry of Health and Center for Disease Control, UNAIDS, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Global Media AIDS Initiative to create these PSAs and will launch them in July 2008.
Beijing Perspective Orient Movie & Television Intermedia Co. has agreed to provide CHAMP with a free 30-second slot of airtime each week during the broadcast of Fortune China, a popular business show, for a full year – the equivalent of $1.3 million in free airtime. The weekly program airs on 71 TV stations in 25 provinces in China, reaching 741 million viewers.
The second phase of the program will begin in August 2008, and will include: recruiting additional media outlets and new partners to distribute materials; conducting a Knowledge, Attitude and Behavior/Practices (KAB/P) survey to evaluate development; producing new advertising and PSAs; organizing a Media Leaders Summit; and conducting evaluations and assessments of all CHAMP efforts and key market segments.
Funding for the management, coordination and production of campaign materials for CHAMP is being provided to GBC by The Coca Cola Coca-Cola Company and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.
Playing Cards with AIDS, TB and Malaria Messages
On May 22nd GBC launched its China Playing Card Initiative. Seven GBC member companies—Anglo American plc, Bayer, BD, Coca-Cola, GM, Eli Lilly & Co., and SSL International—helped organize the week-long distribution campaign targeting China’s migrant worker population. Approximately 400,000 decks of cards were distributed to ticket-holders at Beijing train stations before they embark on long journeys. Each of the deck’s 54 cards is embossed with a different HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis or malaria message and the GBC logo.
China’s 120 million migrant workers are mostly young men who leave their rural hometowns to look for work in the cities. Poorly educated, this population usually finds employment as manual laborers in the construction and manufacturing sectors or in the service industry. Once they settle in the cities, these young men endure long hours for mediocre wages. They seldom see their families: travel is both expensive and time-consuming.
Because most migrant workers are young, sexually active and separated from their spouses for most of the year, they may solicit commercial sex workers and engage in risky unprotected behavior. Statistics from Beijing’s Health Bureau show that about 80% of Beijing’s new HIV cases in 2006 were among the migrant worker population. The Chinese government recognizes that raising awareness among this group is essential to controlling and preventing China’s AIDS epidemic spread in China.
The Chinese government has also voiced concern regarding tuberculosis, which is a major problem in China, with an estimated 130,000 people dying from the disease annually. Malaria, in comparison, is a relatively minor national problem in China, but cases are rising in other countries.
GBC enlisted volunteer college students to distribute the cards; it also partnered with the Beijing Health Department and the student organization AIESEC to facilitate this project. Program volunteers focused on passengers heading to distant central and western provinces, since these trains are likely to carry the most migrant workers.
» View the playing card project outline
» Read an article outlining GBC Member L'Oréal's commitment to fighting AIDS in China
Report on Ministry of Health Information Dissemination Conference
On Mar 16th, 2007 in Beijing, China MOH held an Information Dissemination Conference on the results of the 2006 AIDS Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) Program.
Ten key stakeholders were invited to the conference, including WHO, UNAIDS, the American Embassy, the French Embassy, DFID, World Bank, Clinton Foundation, Marie Stopes International, FHI, NIH.
The conference gave participants a chance to release their main findings regarding 2006 international M&E programs, and to share experiences and lessons learned. During the session, GBC China Director Michael Shiu briefed the attendees on GBC's recent involvement in public-private partnerships. In response, Chair of China CCM Ren Minghui welcomed GBC and its member companies to attend future M&E events, expressing his desire to get greater private sector involvement in China's HIV/AIDS response.
A Q&A session following the conference allowed experts to suggest improvements for future M&E participation. GBC and China MOH have agreed to keep an open dialogue on this initiative.
GBC China Forms Strategic Partnership with the Chinese Productivity Distribution Council (CPDC) to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria
CPDC belongs to the National Bureau of Statistics of the State Council of China. CPDC collaborates with government agencies, technical experts, and strategic planners on research addressing productivity, distribution, social welfare. Its aim is to assist the State Council to build a harmonious society while advancing the social and economic issues of China. CPDC is committed to enabling the public and private sectors in the formation of strategic policies and enhancing international exchange of business practices. The CPDC partnership is another Public Private Partnership that will assist GBC in the fight against the three communicable diseases.
GBC Companies Convene to Learn about HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria
On Feburary 8 in Beijing, GBC presented a highly successful workshop on AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Approximately 60 people attended the event, including following member companies:
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Three experts from CDC, the BMS/CDC Project, and the Global Fund Malaria program gave presentations on the current status and ongoing responses by the government and private sectors on AIDS, TB, and Malaria. Following each presentation, a 10-minute discusssion was held to answer questions and address various issues.
» View the HIV/AIDS Presentation
» View the Malaria Presentation (Chinese/English)
» View the Tuberculosis Presentation
GBC's Migrant Worker HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign
Background:
Most of China’s 120 million migrant population leave their hometowns and families for jobs in the cities. The construction, railroad, heavy labor and services industries account for most of the migrant population in China. A majority of these workers find employment in large cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. It is estimated that 4 million migrant workers in Beijing alone.
Most of the migrant workers are young and sexually active and are likely to seek commercial sex work when they are away from their spouses. The fact that many are unaware of the risks of commercial sex makes them particularly vulnerable to STD and AIDS.
As a result, the Chinese Ministry of Health labeled migrant workers as a high-risk population for HIV transmission and added HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention efforts directed towards migrant workers to their priorities. At the end of 2005 the government launched the National Migrant Worker Education Program and on World AIDS Day 2005 Vice Premier Wu Yi called on the business community to become active on this issue.
GBC Response
Responding to this call to action, GBC China has started to mobilize its member companies to focus on awareness campaigns for migrant workers. In 2007, this focus will include:
- GBC conducted HIV/AIDS awareness trainings for migrant workers at construction sites, at migrant workers centers, at service centers and other venues.
- Distribution of HIV/AIDS messages printed on playing cards to migrant workers on trains during periods of travel.
- Distribution of calendars with HIV/AIDS messages to migrant workers and their families in rural areas.
- Teaching of HIV/AIDS knowledge at schools for children of migrant workers including primary, high school, and colleges using a peer training program.
Pilot HIV/AIDS Awareness Training program
GBC is collaborating with Centers for Disease Control, UNAIDS, and several NGOs. to develop an curriculum for a direct HIV/AIDS training program for migrant workers. A pilot training was conducted at a 2008 Olympic venue construction site on Nov 14, 2006. Approximately 400 workers are employed at this construction site and they live in dormitories in two buildings nearby. GBC conducted the training in the dormitory, with approximately 50 migrant workers in attendance. GBC provided reading materials, pamphlets, playing cards with AIDS messages, and showed film clips. To enhance interaction with the workers, towels, toothpaste, and condoms were distributed. To measure the effectiveness of the training, GBC used pre and post training questionnaires, which showed an significant increase of understanding of HIV/AIDS, methods of transmission and prevention.