Feature story

UNAIDS and Xinhua global media campaign kicks off

30 November 2011

UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibé and Xinhua’s President Li Congjun at the news agency’s headquarters in Beijing, China on Wednesday, November 30th.

The Chinese news agency, Xinhua and the Joint United Nations Programme for HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) launched a global media campaign this week to promote public awareness of HIV on the eve of World AIDS Day. UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibe met with Xinhua’s President Li Congjun at the news agency’s headquarters in Beijing, China on Wednesday, November 30th.

The campaign promotes this year’s World AIDS Day theme, “Getting to Zero” which is based on the UNAIDS vision: zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. Advertisements with the campaign’s messages are running in more than ten Chinese newspapers and magazines owned by Xinhua, as well as on the agency’s Chinese and English websites. Xinhua is also running a public service announcement on the largest screen in Times Square in New York City.

Xinhua has delivered so much in such a short period of time and thanks to President Li’s commitment to the AIDS movement, we are able to promote this year’s World AIDS Day messages to millions of people. This is helping to keep HIV at the forefront of people’s minds

UNAIDS Executive Director, Michel Sidibe

Xinhua’s President Li reiterated the importance of the AIDS response and Xinhua’s commitment to raising public awareness. He said, “My father said don’t make promises easily, but if you make a promise you must keep it.”

Mr Sidibé said “Xinhua has delivered so much in such a short period of time and thanks to President Li’s commitment to the AIDS movement, we are able to promote this year’s World AIDS Day messages to millions of people. This is helping to keep HIV at the forefront of people’s minds.”

In September of this year, UNAIDS and Xinhua signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding where they agreed to leverage each organization’s skills to reach universal access goals towards HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

Mr Sidibé’s visit to Xinhua came on the first day of a three day trip to Beijing. On December 1rst, he will be marking World AIDS Day with government officials and health care professionals at an event at the Great Hall of the People and by participating in a High-Level panel on HIV convened by China’s Centres for Disease Control.