Xi urges care, love for HIV patients

Vice President Xi Jinping (right) shakes hands with an AIDS patient during a visit to a community medical center in Beijing's Fengtai District yesterday on the eve of World AIDS Day. Xi urged society to detest discriminating against people living with HIV/AIDS and to "light their life with love." "HIV/AIDS is not terrible in itself, but what is really dreadful is the ignorance about HIV/AIDS and the prejudice against AIDS patients," said Xi, adding that they are "our brothers and sisters."

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VICE President Xi Jinping urged society to avoid discrimination against HIV/AIDS patients during a visit to a clinic in Beijing yesterday.

Xi, who is also the general secretary of the Communist Party of China, was talking to HIV carriers, doctors and anti-AIDS volunteers at a community clinic in south Beijing on the eve of World AIDS Day.

He shook hands with HIV carriers and learnt about the progress in treatment and counseling they had received.

"HIV/AIDS is not terrible in itself, but what is really dreadful is the ignorance of HIV/AIDS and the prejudice against AIDS patients," said Xi.

"All HIV carriers and AIDS patients are our brothers and sisters, and the whole society should light their life with love," he said.

On arriving at the clinic in Puhuangyu Community in south Beijing, Xi put on a red ribbon pin, symbolizing solidarity with AIDS-affected people.

He was briefed on the work of the clinic, including anti-HIV medicines for people in high-risk groups. He asked the medical staff to make sure that the people rid themselves of their worries and persist with drug treatment.

In a counseling service room, the Party chief met an HIV carrier surnamed Sun and praised his work in educating people through a program for affected people. Xi said that with care and medical treatment, it was possible for many patients to make a recovery.

He also stressed the unique role of counseling services in combating HIV/AIDS, such as helping infected people allay fears and the sense of inferiority to be more confident.

Xi said although effective disease-control measures have been implemented in China, "we must take note that the situation for preventing and controlling HIV/AIDS is still grave, prejudice against HIV-affected people remains serious, and there is a lot to do in the field of HIV/AIDS prevention and control."

He called for an earnest implementation of the country's 2011-2015 plan for HIV/AIDS prevention and control, which requires the participation of the entire society, an all-out investment and a comprehensive prevention.

"The prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS should cover all the affected people without differentiation to ensure that the care from the Party, government and the whole society can reach them," he stressed.

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