For those newly diagnosed with HIV, nothing is more important than getting enrolled into antiretroviral therapy (ART) as early as possible. AHF China’s latest initiative ramped up efforts to do just that by partnering with Asia’s leading MSM (men who have sex with men) dating app and top HIV doctors to live-stream two online broadcasts on the issue to nearly 93,000 people!
“By partnering with Blued [dating app] for the first ever “Early ART” broadcasts, we were able to reach tens of thousands of people about this vital issue surrounding HIV/AIDS,” said AHF China Country Program Manager Xia Jin. “HIV experts Dr. Wu Hao [AHF’s medical mentor] and Dr. Wu Zunyou from China CDC were both instrumental in conveying messages that brought awareness of how important it is to get tested and how starting ART early can greatly improve HIV patients’ chances of living virtually normal and healthy lives.”
In addition to addressing treatment, the two broadcasts also highlighted the importance of ending HIV stigma and discrimination, which are major factors inhibiting testing and treatment for many people living with HIV in China.
AHF has operated an HIV program in China since 2006 and has 137,095 patients in care.