The Orientation meeting for “Fast Track City Initiative” to End AIDS Successfully Held in Ningbo, Zhejiang

From August 6 to 8, 2024, the Orientation meeting for “Fast Track City Initiative” to End AIDS was successfully held in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province. The meeting was organized by the National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention (NCAIDS), China CDC, with Deputy Director Liu Yufen presiding. Over 30 participants attended, including leaders and experts from the Health Commissions, Disease Control Bureaus, and CDCs of Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Yunnan provinces, as well as Ningbo, Suzhou and Kunming cities, along with representatives from UNAIDS and the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC).

 

In her opening remarks, Yan Jun, Deputy Director of the China CDC, emphasized the importance of China’s participation in the Fast-Track Cities network for achieving the goals of the Healthy China initiative. She expressed hope that these three cities would take the lead in reaching the “95-95-95” targets (95% of people living with HIV knowing their status, 95% of those diagnosed receiving sustained antiretroviral therapy, and 95% of those on treatment achieving viral suppression). Erasmus Morah, Director of UNAIDS Office in China, praised China’s contributions and expressed his anticipation that China will share its experiences on a global scale.

 

The meeting included presentations on China’s comprehensive HIV prevention and control (China CARES), Global progress on ending AIDS by 2030, experiences of joining the Fast-Track Cities Initiative, and the work carried out in the three cities (Ningbo, Suzhou and Kunming). Participants engaged in in-depth discussions on the criteria and implementation steps for joining the Fast-Track Cities Initiative, and the next steps and future goals were clarified. This meeting is expected to promote high-quality development of HIV prevention and control in key cities, contributing to the global effort to end HIV epidemic.