As China is becoming serious with the HIV/AIDS epidemic with high-profile measures, Chinese AIDS patients act with their government. They not only overcome fear and discrimination, but also endeavor to be activists of the society and return to more or less a normal life.

Wu Dianbao is a farmer living in Daye city, 90 kilometers southeast of Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province. Like many Chinese HIV carriers and AIDS patients, Wu was infected with the deadly virus in selling blood in 1995, which developed into symptoms in 2001. Constantly feeling cold, bearing high fever and herpes almost pushed the 30-year-old to death.

Things change a lot after the father of a cute girl got help from doctors with the Daye AIDS treatment center in late 2003. Wu began to recover.

"They (doctors) come to my house by motorcycle. They treat me like their family member. They also test my wife's and daughter's blood and fortunately they are free of infection," said Wu.

Wu, however, is worried more than the disease itself. Since he was ill, his family has lost all sources of income and falls in debt.

Living subsidies given by the government are far from enough to help him cover his debt, let alone helping to improve the family's living standards.

"I say to myself: I have to find ways out," said Wu. "In fact, the government has spent so much on my disease. I can't rely on the government all my life but must raise my family by myself".

With the advice of farming experts introduced by the hospital, Wu starts growing watermelon in his desolated fields. "No one dares to buy my watermelon at first, but later a college professor and an official come in with their enlightening actions. When they buy my watermelons, others follow. Watermelons begin to bring me money," said Wu, grinning.

Gradually, Wu comes to fame for his watermelons, particularly among people associated with China's cause of fighting the epidemic.

With watermelons, Wu's family then wants to raise pigs. Doctors help the family build a sty in his yard and the city's civil affairs department buys him feedstuff and piggy. Now Wu and his family have 30 pigs in his sty.

"Early this year, I finally pay off all the debts. My wife buys new clothes and my daughter gets a new schoolbag. I regain confidence of being a good husband and father," the man said with joy.

As Wu restores his confidence, his self-rescue story is widely told in his hometown. He is now head of "Production and Self-rescue Association of AIDS Patients in Daye", which was set up on March 18, this year. In the 12-member association, AIDS patients find a home -- they help one another in production, drug taking, and among others.

Wu said among the 12 families, five raise pigs, two grow watermelons and crops, two feed fishes, another two involve in transportation business and the remaining one is a construction worker. "Annual income for these AIDS patients is 5,000 yuan at least, and 10,000 yuan at most," said Wu.

Wu is not alone in standing up to the disease, restoring normal lives and even helping other AIDS patients.

Zheng Xiufang, also an AIDS patient from Linquan County in east China's Anhui Province, has her own way to help other AIDS people.

Trained by local office in Linquan HIV/AIDS model zone, Zheng becomes a medicine-taking inspector, whose job is to watch AIDS patients to take anti-virus medicine on time and encourage them with her own experience.

Zheng, 47, often gathers all the AIDS patients in her village to learn treatment knowledge and watch free AIDS publicity materials. She also inform them to get regular physical checkups and seek help from psychologists when some patients have psychological problems.

Since Zheng took this job a year ago, she has persuaded and assured all the AIDS patients around to take medicine on time. As a result, the death rate of AIDS patients decreases.

Local AIDS treatment office later introduced Zheng's model to four other counties and gained sound results.

Notably, Zheng and Wu are both living in HIV/AIDS model zones. So far China has designated 127 such model zones nationwide.

In March 2003, the ministry designated the first batch of 51 model zones in a project called "China Cares" in English. Up to now, the project has 127 such zones scattered in 28 provincial-level regions. These zones feature severe infection due to illegal blood collection and rampant drug use.

Wang Longde, vice Health Minster, said Monday the project is a major measure taken by the central government in its hard war against the HIV/AIDS threat. It is also a project as the country attempts to explore and find out a feasible working mechanism in accordance with China's reality, said Wang in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province.

Like Zheng and Wu, there are more than 13,000 AIDS people living in these model zones, said Wang, who is in Zhengzhou for the country's first experience-sharing conference attended by government officials, health experts, NGO representatives as well as AIDS patients from those zones.

Zheng and Wu's stories of optimism and self-rescue make people involved with China's cause of combating the epidemic feel relieved and encouraged. Wang Longde himself expresses his appreciation of Zheng and Wu at the Zhengzhou conference.

Liu Xuezhou, deputy director of Henan's Health Department which hosts the conference, echoes Wang's view. "From totally depending on governments to self-rescuing and contributing to the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS, it is an encouraging turnaround. Such attitude and activities are worth of praise," said Liu.

Joel Rehnstrom, country coordinator of UNAIDS China Office, said it is good to see these kinds of positive examples of people who continued to live with the virus.

"They have not given up hopes. They have realized that even with the virus they could continue, in this case with support from local governments, to live more or less normal lives," he said.

Rehnstrom said it is good to see these patients come through so many difficulties and even use their increased strength to help stop spread of the virus.

He said, "It is important that we hear the voices and experience of people living with AIDS."

Indeed, when Wu Dianbao and Zheng Xiufang tell the conference of their own stories and won applause, their voices are clearly heard.

"I am thinking of raising cattle and sheep. At the same time, I would try my best in the association and lure more patient friends into it," said Wu.

"I don't want to totally depend on the government. I don't want other people to look down on me, either. I am re-entering the society and I hope AIDS patients across the country would raise to the AIDS challenge and return to a normal life," said Wu.

Source: Xinhua