The logo and theme song of a UNICEF campaign to care for
children affected by HIV/AIDS was unveiled yesterday in the press
hall of the State Council Information Office in Beijing.
According to Sun Zhigang, who heads the Development Center of
the China Youth Concern Committee, UNICEF's partner in the program,
hundreds of thousands of children in China have been orphaned or
infected by the disease.
"Most of the children affected are living in provinces hit
hardest by the virus, such as Henan
and Yunnan,"
Sun said, adding that his organization has spent around 700,000
yuan (US$85,000) this year on enhancing public awareness of their
situation.
Stigma and discrimination against children affected by HIV/AIDS
prevents many in China from realizing the opportunities other
children enjoy. Those orphaned can find it particularly hard to
remain in education, and ignorance about HIV can lead to them being
subjected to unreasonable fear and exclusion.
The program "Care for Children Affected by HIV/AIDS" is one of
UNICEF's global focuses for 2005.
(China Daily, China.org.cn June 23, 2005)