HIV and AIDS - China HIV/AIDS Information Network
Overview
The scaling up of the effort to provide better HIV and AIDS prevention, care and treatment in China, has seen an increasing need for sharing information and good practice among the public and all sectors of Chinese society.
As early as 2000 many international agencies, including UNAIDS and UNICEF, actively promoted the development of an HIV resource centre and information network in China to promote and facilitate the sharing of good practice and experience on HIV and AIDS prevention and control, and to support networking and collaboration between GOs and NGOs. The potential impact of information sharing on AIDS prevention in China is seen to be enormous.
Despite this, until late 2002 an HIV and AIDS information resource network enabling the sharing of information between sectors and agencies did not exist in China. This changed with the setting up of the China HIV/AIDS Information Network (CHAIN), hosted and led by the China National Institute of Health Education (IHE) and the National Centre for Control of AIDS (NCAIDS) of the China Centre for Disease Control (CCDC), under the Ministry of Health. In 2003, CHAIN was authorised by CCDC to carry out its activities independently. in 2005 it became a registered Non-Government Organisation (NGO).
CHAIN is a participatory network of organisations that is devoted to the promotion of good practice and sharing of experiences around HIV/AIDS, through the creation and maintenance of a freely available information resource and clearinghouse in China. CHAIN also promotes communication and cooperation between GOs, NGOs, INGOs, international agencies and individuals by providing a platform for linking and sharing of information, thus maximising the use of available resources.
CHAIN’s philosophy
CHAIN adopts an open and participatory model in its work with GOs and NGOs.
It works on behalf of all organisations wishing to share information
and resources, and is dedicated to providing free and accessible information
on HIV and AIDS awareness, and prevention, care and treatment services.
It is also dedicated to developing a network that will integrate and
link available information resources in an effective way to promote the
use of good practice and experiences in the development of new initiatives
and policies.
The CHAIN and Healthlink Worldwide partnership
In 2005 Healthlink Worldwide and CHAIN formalised a four-year working relationship
and set up a China country officer/ CHAIN coordinator role. This partnership
aims to both strategically and operationally build and promote communication,
information management and dissemination, exchange and learning to further
support HIV and AIDS prevention and control in China.
The partnership is based on the following principles:
- Continuing to build capacity through training in information management, resource centre development and promotion, and IEC development and evaluation to ensure the long-term sustainability of CHAIN.
- Sharing knowledge, skills, good practice and funding opportunities in the spirit of openness, equality, trust and collaboration.
- Promoting the values of learning organisations and a commitment to participatory learning approaches within the partnership.
- Promoting and supporting each other and sharing the mutual benefits of joint networks both domestically and internationally.
- Reducing stigma, discrimination and exclusion of PLWHA and other marginalised groups.
AIDS Action newsletter
One of the first activities of the Healthlink Worldwide and CHAIN partnership
will be the production of a regional version of the AIDS Action newsletter.
Four issues in the first year will be produced. The dissemination of
the newsletter will help to network different different HIV and
AIDS organisations in the region and will bring HIV and
AIDS information to a wider audience.