In September 2018, on the sidelines of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit in Beijing, China’s First Lady, Professor Peng Liyuan, and her fellow First Ladies from Africa lit up a Reb Ribbon at the centre of the meeting hall, officially launching the Joint Initiative of the China-Africa Thematic Meeting on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control.
The 2018 FOCAC summit gathered together over 20 African Heads of State and First Ladies to discuss closer partnership between China and African countries, including on health-related matters. During the thematic meeting, Professor Peng announced a three-year HIV prevention campaign among adolescents to begin in 2019 as well as a community health promotion programme involving China, several African countries and international organizations, including UNAIDS.
For more than 10 years, Professsor Peng has had a particular interest in reducing the impact of HIV among children and adolescents, especially among children orphaned by AIDS. In 2016, she hosted the China-Africa Children Summer Camp that brought together children living with or affected by HIV from China, Ghana, South Africa and Zimbabwe. During the camp, the First Lady helped launch the Chinese version of the Bravest Boy I Know, a book which helps children understand the issues surrounding HIV and reduce the stigma and discrimination faced by children affected by the virus.
In 2015, Professor Peng attended a meeting of the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she underlined the importance of four key issues critical to ending AIDS by 2030: universal access to HIV treatment; public information and education; educational opportunities for adolescents and economic development to eliminate poverty.
Together with national Red Ribbon Ambassadors, Professor Peng has for many years visited communities across China, including schools and universities, to raise awareness about HIV prevention and to reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with the virus.
An acclaimed soprano singer, Professor Peng has proven to be a powerful voice for those living with or affected by HIV.
She has been a World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador for Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS since 2011. In 2017, she was awarded a UNAIDS Award for Outstanding Achievement in recognition of her contribution to the response.
“A caring heart is our best weapon against AIDS,” she said in accepting the award. “We can save lives if we take action. We must succeed and we will succeed.”
