Press Releases 2008
Hong Kong singer continues as role model in the AIDS response
Hong Kong singer and actress Ms Miriam Yeung Chin Wah to continue as UNAIDS National Goodwill Ambassador for Hong Kong SAR China (Extracted from Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, China Office)********************************************
Beijing and Hong Kong, 1 December 2008
–Today on the 20th anniversary of the World AIDS Day, UNAIDS China
announced the renewal of celebrated Hong Kong singer and actress
Ms Miriam Yeung Chin Wah as UNAIDS National Goodwill Ambassador
for Hong Kong SAR China. A
website http://miriam.rrc-hk.com designed to show Ms Yeung’s
HIV prevention activities was launched at an official ceremony for
World AIDS Day organized by the Department of Health, Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region, China. The website provides information
to the public that will give a better understanding of, and insight
into AIDS and HIV prevention activities, which has so actively been
supported by Ms Yeung.
Ms Miriam Yeung Chin Wah, has worked with UNAIDS since 2000. Her dedication
to HIV prevention activities and mobilizing support for people living
with HIV throughout the years has set a good example of how participation
from civil society can help generate and maintain further momentum
in the response to the AIDS epidemic.
As an outstanding artist, Miss Yeung’s popularity in local and overseas
Chinese communities, particularly among young people, has helped ensure
attention to AIDS issues among the media as well as the general public.
Through her HIV prevention activities, she has raised awareness on
HIV and encouraged young people to protect themselves from HIV, while
her work on mobilizing support for people living with HIV has helped
build a more supportive, receptive and caring environment in Hong Kong
and elsewhere.
The latest estimates show that approximately 3,600 people are living
with HIV in Hong Kong SAR, China, with approximately 400 new HIV cases
reported per annum. Sexual transmission is currently the most common
mode of HIV infection in Hong Kong. In recent years, there has been
a worrying rising trend of HIV infections among men who have sex with
men.
Contact
Dr Raymond Ho | Department of Health | +85 2 2780 8622 | rlmho@dhspp.net
Mr Ole Schack Hansen | UNAIDS China | +86 10 8532 2226 | hanseno@unaids.org
UNAIDS is an innovative joint venture of the
United Nations, bringing together the efforts and resources of the
UNAIDS Secretariat and ten
UN system organizations in the AIDS response. The Secretariat headquarters
is in Geneva, Switzerland—with staff on the ground in more than 80
countries. Coherent action on AIDS by the UN system is coordinated
in countries through UN theme groups, and joint programmes on AIDS.
UNAIDS’ Cosponsors include UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC,
ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank. Visit the UNAIDS Web site at http://www.unaids.org