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Yao Ming Joins CAI's Fight Against HIV/AIDS

BEIJING, July 17, 2005 – The NBA and CAI hosted an HIV/AIDS Awareness Day with Tsinghua University, as part of the ongoing partnership to help generate HIV/AIDS awareness in China.

NBA players, led by native son Yao Ming, star center of the Houston Rockets, Tony Parker of San Antonio Spurs, Bostjan Nachbar (New Orleans Hornets), Samuel Dalembert and Kyle Korver (Philadephia 76ers), met with 30 Chinese children from Fuyang AIDS Orphan Salvation Association, some of them HIV positive and others orphaned by AIDS.  The children shared some of their stories about how HIV/AIDS had impacted their lives, and later the players and children exchanged gifts and shared lunch with a group of participants including renowned AIDS scientist Dr. David Ho, China’s AIDS ambassador Pu Cunxin, and Tsinghua’s Party Secretary Prof. Chen Xi.

Later that afternoon, Professor Jing Jun, Director of AIDS Policy Research Center and Dr. Alex Hu, Director of the AIDS Policy Training Program together with 12 peer educators from Tsinghua University led a life skills seminar on adolescent health and HIV/AIDS prevention for the 51 Basketball Without Borders camp participants from 15 countries and territories across Asia.

Yao’s personal support and appearance builds on previous HIV/AIDS awareness efforts by the NBA, notably a Public Service television announcement he made with NBA Legend, Earvin Magic Johnson to highlight the importance of compassion toward people affected by HIV.  That campaign, broadcast during NBA games throughout China, reached hundreds of millions of at-risk youth.

Yao Ming also announced his intention to visit Hong Kong this coming September 21-22 to support community efforts there to educate young people about the epidemic. Yao will appear at a series of events sponsored by the Hong Kong government, the Dragon Foundation and the China AIDS Initiative.

Joined by representatives of China’s Ministry of Health, the NBA, CAI, and Tsinghua University, Yao Ming also unveiled a new poster campaign he and the China AIDS Initiative are launching to raise awareness about HIV. Yao said, “I encourage everyone to take responsibility for their own health.  Learn more about HIV and protect yourself. Prevention is the best medicine.” 

Dr. David Ho, speaking on behalf of the China AIDS Initiative, said, “Left unchecked, China’s AIDS crisis could escalate into a public health catastrophe. But HIV/AIDS is high on China’s national agenda and working together we can contain the epidemic before it runs out of control. Yao Ming’s leadership is a great inspiration and we encourage everyone to join us in this cause.”

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CAI welcomes input and support from interested members of the community. For more information please visit www.chinaaidsinitiative.org or contact Lily Lai-Cutugno, tel: 212-448-5049.