From spectators to implementers: civil society organizations involved in AIDS programmes in China

Abstract

Background Over the past 20 years, civil society organizations (CSOs) in China have significantly increased their involvement in the AIDS response. This article aims to review the extent of civil society participation in China AIDS programmes over the past two decades.Methods A desk review was conducted to collect Chinese government policies, project documents and published articles on civil society participation of HIV/AIDS programmes in China over the past two decades. Assessment focused on five aspects: (i) the political environment; (ii) access to financial resources; (iii) the number of CSOs working on HIV/AIDS; (iv) the scope of work; and (v) the impact of CSO involvement on programmes.Results The number of CSOs specificly working on HIV/AIDS increased from 0 before 1988 to over 400 in 2009. Among a sample of 368 CSOs, 135 (36.7%) were registered. CSOs were primarily supported by international programmes. Government financial support to CSOs has increased from USD248 000 in 2002 to USD1.46 million in 2008. Initially, civil society played a minimal role. It is now widely involved in nearly all aspects of HIV/AIDS-related prevention, treatment and care efforts, and has had a positive impact; for example, increased adherence of anti-retroviral treatment and HIV testing among hard-to-reach groups. The main challenges faced by CSOs include registration, capacity and long-term financial support.Conclusion CSOs have significantly increased their participation and contribution to HIV/AIDS programmes in China. Policies for registration and financial support to CSOs need to be developed to enable them to play an even greater role in AIDS programmes.

HIV testing and care systems focused on sexually transmitted HIV in China

“…41 42 While NGO in China are still evolving, 43 there has been a notable trend in the past few years towards greater functionality and responsibility for HIV support services. 44 Unregistered NGO and informal grassroots groups provide valuable counselling, support and related psychosocial services for HIV-infected individuals in China. 44 A growing global evidence base shows how NGO can play fundamental roles in enhancing sexual health services for high-risk individuals.…”

“…44 Unregistered NGO and informal grassroots groups provide valuable counselling, support and related psychosocial services for HIV-infected individuals in China. 44 A growing global evidence base shows how NGO can play fundamental roles in enhancing sexual health services for high-risk individuals. 45e47…”

China AIDS policy implementation: reversing the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2015

“…These projects are now fully integrated into the overall national AIDS responses. Beyond providing critical financial support, these international projects created the opportunity to introduce the best practices in use globally into China, accelerating the formulation of AIDS policies, strengthening providers’ capacity, improving the development of grass-roots social organizations and establishing a platform for communication and experience sharing with the international community 8 , 9 . The international contributions decreased over time, as the importance of sustainable government support became apparent, so that today international financial support reflects only one-third of the total monetary resources for the China's AIDS program.…”

“…Organizations for civil societies were non-existent 20 years ago, but now organizations have changed from being mere spectators to being active implementers of social change 9 . These civil society organizations have played a significant role in providing specialized prevention and treatment services to marginalized groups, such as men who have sex with men and people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS 9 .…”

Chinese non-governmental organizations involved in HIV/AIDS prevention and control: Intra-organizational social capital as a new analytical perspective

“…They act as service providers and are involved in education, service delivery, and provision of other services (1,2). There are two main types of NGOs in China, namely, actual NGOs and "governmentorganized" NGOs (GONGOs).…”