The Ministry of Health Awards HPP China Representative Mr. Michael Hermann the “Honor Award for Outstanding Contributions to International Cooperation in HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control in China”

Friday, 18 November 2011

On October 31st, 2011, The ‘6th Experience Exchange Conference on International Cooperation Projects for HIV/AIDS Control in China’ was launched in Beijing. The conference was co-sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Health (MoH) and UNAIDS China, with the theme of “Sharing Experiences, Strengthening Cooperation”. Health Minister Chen Zhu confirmed China’s promise to control and reduce the spread of the epidemic by 2015. The Chinese government attaches great importance to AIDS prevention by leading and coordinating the work, Mr. Chen said. China also continues to strengthen international exchanges and cooperation and to deliver the necessary efforts to achieve the Millenniums Goals globally and contain the spread of the epidemic.

 

The conference discussed and concluded upon the important role and component the international HIV/AIDS Control projects have played since their inception in the fields of prevention, treatment and community mobilization. During this process international experiences have always been highly valued. Sharing and communication on relevant international information, esp. with our neighboring counties, has also successfully expanded the influence of China’s HIV/AIDS prevention work, and promoted the harmonization between international cooperation projects and China’National HIV/AIDS control strategy.

 

In appreciation of their efforts, the MoH presented to 3 foreign friends the “Honour Award for Outstanding Contributions to International Cooperation in HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control in China”, them among HPP China Representative Mr. Michael Hermann.

Award promulgation for Mr. Michael Hermann

Let’s welcome a German who, instead of entering the army or going to university after senior middle school, chose to be an international volunteer and dedicated himself to the public good. He came to China in 2005 and has since paid all his efforts to poverty alleviation and AIDS prevention work for 6 years.

In China, he led the Total Control of the Epidemic (TCE) program in Yunnan and Sichuan and helped to establish a sustainable network model for cooperation between government and NGOs. His innovation resulted in the piloting of rapid HIV testing in homes and workplaces in Yunnan, as well as facilitate a platform to formulate rapid testing principles for non-medical health workers. In order to help government to promote voluntary test, he and his team paid one-to-one visits to 300,000 people and successfully persuaded 9700 people into voluntary testing. Through this TCE practice, an effective method of knowledge education and community mobilization has been established.

Besides, he also helped us greatly in applying for and implementing of Global Fund projects. Without his efforts China could not have increased the scope of our successful HIV application to the Round 8 of the Global Fund with Euro20,000,000.

Here is our great friend, the HPP China Representative, Mr. Michael Hermann!

 

Here is Michael’s award acceptance speech：

"Dear Respected Leaders, friends and colleagues.

Thank you very much for your support to HPP and myself. Thank you for the recognition of mine and HPP’s ideas, inner quality and capacity.

When I, an ordinary German citizen, read the ‘little red book’ of Chairman Mao in 1975, I had no idea that I would be receiving this honor one day 36 years later here in Beijing.

This makes me thinking of 4 points

The power of dream.

The values we should pursue 

History

Capacity and responsibility 

Some people think killing people all over the planet at will through bombs is the ultimate power. I do not agree.

What I want to say is:

The real power in this world is the power of dream of the 99% on this globe.

I think the world’s people dream of equality and fraternity, and this dream is the most powerful thing in the world. 

Steve Jobs said: "Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.”

In 100 years we will all die. When we all die – we cannot bring Louis Vutton bags or BMW’s into our next life.

We can only bring the love we have given to others and the respect earned by our brothers and sisters.

I wish that China does not get trapped in the dogma of individualism and consumerism, but can keep its cultural roots with focus on people relation and unity, and frugality. 

Today is the newest day in 13 billion years.

Today is the first day of the future

Everything is possible.

Everyone can make history or change the course of history.

Guo Meimei might have changed the course of history.

Also Yue Yue made history.

So everybody here in this room can make history :- do not let your past determine your future. 

The conclusion is that we all have capacity and responsibility:

Everybody should serve society with the best they have.

We here in this room today, we cannot control HIV in China.

Only the masses of China can control HIV.

But we can guide the masses and mobilize them.

Only empowered women can ask their husbands to use condoms.

Only empowered youth can reject a drug offer.

Only empowered CSW can use a condom all the times.

Only empowered MSM can come into the open.

If we keep working in this direction day after day – like the famous Chinese legend of old man moving the huge mountain in this way little by little, we can solve our task. 

Thank you. "

 

The Minister of MoH Mr. Chen Zhu participating in the 6th Experience Exchange Conference on International Cooperation Projects for HIV/AIDS Control in China

http://www.moh.gov.cn/publicfiles/business/htmlfiles/wsb/ppic/201111/53254.htm