Hiv Aids In China The Economic And Social Determinants

"Providing a up-to-date, comprehensive analysis of the most critical aspects of the growth of HIV/AIDS in China, this book moves beyond biomedical explanations to link the epidemic to broader issues of economic and social development."--Publisher's description

This first English language book on China’s AIDS epidemic provides a picture of the current state of the epidemic, a social science and interdisciplinary perspective on gaps in the response, and a blueprint for needed actions. The book’s editors are leading experts on China’s AIDS epidemic, health and political systems. Contributors comprise some of the world’s leading Chinese and international researchers, policy-makers, and civil society representatives working on HIV/AIDS in China. The multi-disciplinary work provides a critically needed social science perspective and analysis of the epidemic, offers a framework for thinking about the spread of HIV in China, and includes suggestions for an effective policy response that also addresses social determinants.

China’s concentrated HIV epidemic is on the brink of becoming a generalized one and syphilis infection has become a major public health threat. Social factors relating to gender and gender inequality exacerbate the spread of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI) in China. A better understanding of the proximate social determinants of HIV related to gender will be crucial to effectively curbing HIV and other STIs in China. Aspects of China’s governance - including administrative procedures, the developing legal system, social institutions, and the public health infrastructure – are instrumental in shaping strategies and responses to HIV. International studies suggest that women who are more economically and socially vulnerable may also have a greater risk of HIV infection, yet few initiatives have focused on discrete areas where achievable and sustainable gender policy measures could be linked to the public health response. This study presents perspectives ranging from criminology to social psychology to better understand how gender perspectives can inform HIV policy in the context of China.

Confronting Discrimination and Inequality in China focuses on the most challenging areas of discrimination and inequality in China, including discrimination faced by HIV/AIDS afflicted individuals, rural populations, migrant workers, women, people with disabilities, and ethnic minorities. The Canadian contributors offer rich regional, national, and international perspectives on how constitutions, laws, policies, and practices, both in Canada and in other parts of the world, battle discrimination and the conflicts that rise out of it. The Chinese contributors include some of the most independent-minded scholars and practitioners in China. Their assessments of the challenges facing China in the areas of discrimination and inequality not only attest to their personal courage and intellectual freedom but also add an important perspective on this emerging superpower.

HIV-related stigma and discrimination and human rights violations constitute great barriers to preventing HIV infection; providing care, support and treatment; and alleviating the impacts of the epidemic. This publication documents case studies of successful action in different countries addressing HIV-related human rights violations, stigma and discrimination.

Nearly thirty years since HIV/AIDS was first identified, confusion over effective mechanisms of controlling and eradicating the illness remain prevalent. This book highlights the need for comprehensive approaches to governance, as responses to HIV/AIDS become increasingly focused upon the health aspect of the epidemic, and financial commitments become subject to aid fatigue. This book examines the roles and influence of multiple actors and initiatives that have come to constitute the global response to the epidemic. It considers how these actors and structures of governance enhance, or limit, participation and accountability; and the impact this is having upon effective HIV/AIDS responses across the world. The book addresses participation and accountability as key elements of governance in four thematic areas: the role of the state and democratic governance; non-state actors and mechanisms of political governance; public-private partnerships and economic governance; and multilateral institutions and global governance. Drawing on the insights of public health specialists; political scientists; economists; lawyers; those working with community groups, and within international organisations, it offers valuable perspectives on the governance of HIV/AIDS. Aimed at both academics and practitioners throughout the world, this book contributes to the academic debate surrounding global governance, health and development economics, and the work of multiple international organisations and civil society organisations.

This book draws attention to the nonlegal, sociocultural aspects of justice for minorities in China. The primary objectives are threefold. The first is to present a tentative analysis of the lived realities of being ‘the other’ in China, with the aim of presenting a critical picture of the complex national context and identifying main concerns and key challenges. Six topics are covered - gender roles, health, class, intimacy, ethnicity and religion, and expression. The second objective is to explore the interaction between a wide range of factors and myriad systems that enable or hinder protection and justice for these groups, be they historical, political, social, or cultural, hoping to open up a rich domain of inquiry for those interested in to what extent and in what ways otherness may or may not survive in China. The third objective is to bring attention to new trends and developments, some are easily identifiable whereas others are less detectable, some are interrelated while others are relatively isolated, some are straightforward and others remain easily misinterpreted.

The result of collaboration between the University of New South Wales and the Tsinghua University in Beijing, this unique chronicle maps some of the most important social, political, and cultural characteristics of the HIV epidemic in China. Demonstrating that the epidemic was propelled by three main economic drivers--the blood trade, the drug trade, and the sex trade--this informative compilation of essays uncovers the hidden truths about the spread of HIV and analyzes its social impacts.