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K-C Partners with UNICEF to Strengthen Care for Families Affected by HIV/AIDS in China
The number of Chinese families and children impacted by the global AIDS epidemic has increased significantly in recent years. In an effort to curb the spread of the disease in the world’s most populous country, the Chinese State Council AIDS Working Committee Office launched the Children, Young People and AIDS Campaign in 2006. This effort brought together a diverse group of partners to address the key areas of prevention of mother to child transmission, pediatric care and treatment, care and support of children affected by AIDS, and prevention among young people through their participation and commitment to stigma reduction.
That year, as part of our effort to improve the health, hygiene and well-being of the world’s families, Kimberly-Clark Corporation contributed $650,000 to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to support UNICEF projects in China. These projects are aimed at strengthening the community-based care of children orphaned by AIDS, as well as those living with HIV or AIDS in China. Implementation took place in five Chinese provinces – Yunnan, Guangxi, Sichuan, Henan and Xinjiang.
 Shu Yu is a 22-year-old HIV+ woman; after attending community care training, she works as a supporting group peer leader in Guangxi. By sharing her experience and service, providing connections with her peers in the supporting group and through home visit or phone calls, over 100 of her friends are using counseling, test, treatment and care services.
"The fight against HIV and AIDS in China is crucial, and our goal is to provide the children and families impacted by this disease with proper support so they can lead prosperous and productive lives," said Caryl M. Stern, President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. “Through our successful partnership with Kimberly-Clark, we brought hope to families affected by HIV/AIDS and offered them a brighter future through community-based care and services."
The Kimberly-Clark donation helped UNICEF strengthen several community-based family services that improve care for children and mothers affected by AIDS. These services have allowed mothers and children living with HIV/AIDS to receive counseling, testing, treatment and adherence support; nutrition and self-health care guidance; income generation; and protection from discrimination. For example, 12-year-old Xiao Dan’s father died of AIDS when he was 8, followed shortly by his mother. He stayed for a while in a local orphanage and felt very alone and isolated. The local social work team found Xiao a foster family and connected him to the services provided through the K-C supported UNICEF program. Thanks to the help that he has received, Xiao has started his new life with a new family, friends and school, and has new hope for the future.
12-year-old Xiao Dan with his friends.
Following Kimberly-Clark’s involvement in the project, projections show that more than 1,000 children and 5,000 mothers living with AIDS continue to benefit from these community-based services as the project continues to ramp up.
The second phase of this grant enabled an additional 9,000 children affected by AIDS and their families to receive other support services, including foster care, schooling, vocational training, social support, nutrition and medical care. The vocational training program was particularly successful, with 85 percent of children who completed the program gaining skills needed for employment. Fifty-seven of the participating children to date have earned jobs in specialty areas, and it is projected that more than 500,000 children will benefit from the project's services over the next several years.
For more information on additional program accomplishments, click here.
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