Several HIV carriers will have their voices heard nationwide this Saturday as they host "Positive Talks", a special radio program which was launched in Beijing on January 9.

"Positive Talks" is launched in Beijing on January 9, 2010. [China.org.cn]

Jointly produced by China National Radio (CNR) and Marie Stopes International China (MSIC), "Positive talks", the first of its kind in China, will be broadcast on CNR 2 from 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm every Saturday for a year and will also be available online at finance.cnr.cn and gongyi.sohu.com.

The program is expected to cover about 300 million people in 60 cities. United Nations Development Program (UNDP) China and China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges also offered assistance to the radio program.

Professional radio personalities and HIV positive people will co-host the program with the aim of empowering HIV carriers to fight against discrimination and live "positively." The public will be informed with the knowledge on HIV/AIDS and will be inspired to talk to the special host through the program. They should, as an official from UNAIDS said, listen to the HIV carrier not with their ears, but with their hearts. The launch of "Positive Talks" will not only provide knowledge on AIDs for the public, but also can help cultivate understanding and respect for HIV patients, according to a manager from MSIC.

"Positive Talks" is launched in Beijing on January 9, 2010. [China.org.cn]

Subinay Nandy, country director of UNDP China, stressed at the launch ceremony that empowering people with access to information on HIV/AIDS is critical to the prevention of the epidemic. He also said that this radio show will serve as a multi-sector mechanism to help explore suitable public advocacy models and strategies and the UNDP will share such experience in other countries in the future.

Yang Wenyan, deputy editor-in-chief of CNR, noted that many HIV/AIDS people did not die of disease but of ignorance. He proposed that efforts be exerted to arouse awareness among the public. "The whole society should show their sincere concern for this issue and build an HIV/AIDS discrimination-free environment."

Among the speakers at the launch ceremony was an HIV patient surnamed Ma, one of the hosts of the radio program. He expressed deep gratitude to the people and organizations that promoted the launch of the program, which took three years to set up. "The influence of an idol is immeasurable," he explained in his speech. "'Believing in a bright future', the words written by China's HIV/AIDS Ambassador Mr. Pu Cunxin, have been encouraging me all through these years. I hope more and more people can be involved in HIV/AIDS prevention."

"I hope this program can help people like me as much as possible and inspire those living with the virus to accept their status and 'live positively'," added Ma.

The number of HIV-positive people in China is thought to be around 740,000, up from an estimated 700,000 who had the virus in 2007 according to China's health minister Chen Zhu at the 5th Conference of International Cooperation Programmes on HIV/AIDS in China. China has had 49,845 AIDS deaths since it detected its first HIV infection in 1985.