Press Conference with Dr. Gao Yaojie, Author of China's AIDS Plague: 10,000 Letters, December 1, 2009 from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM

Hosted by Open Books and ChinaAid

Bloomberg Room, National Press Club

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Dr. Gao Yaojie's book China's AIDS Plague: 10,000 Letters was first published in Beijing in 2004 to great acclaim -- but the book's revelations on government complicity in the crisis, and its criticisms of the "blood plasma market" that spread the disease, led to its distribution being suppressed. Five years later, Dr. Gao has updated her book with brand new documents and photos. Edited under highly confidential conditions, the book was published by Hong Kong's Open Books in November. Dr. Gao Yaojie has chosen World AIDS Day, December 1, 2009, to introduce her book, and address the current condition of the AIDS crisis in China.

China discovered its first HIV/AIDS case in 1984. Dr. Gao Yaojie, formerly a professor at the Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and one of China's foremost AIDS experts, undertook a mission to gain a deeper understanding of the situation in rural Henan and hundreds of villages throughout China. Her efforts to publicize and relieve the human cost of the disease and the hardships of the orphans left behind moved the conscience of Chinese society and the international community -- earning her the nickname "China's Mother Theresa," and numerous humanitarian awards.

Dr. Gao Yaojie has endured limitations on her personal freedom, monitoring of her communications, media assassination and defamation, and harassment of herself and her family members. Following the death of her husband in 2006, Dr. Gao became even more isolated and marginalized, and her personal safety was compromised. With the combined efforts of ChinaAid and U.S. Government officials, Dr. Gao recently left China in secret, bringing with her the truth behind China's AIDS crisis.

Honored Speakers:

• Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA, 7th), Chairman of the U.S. Congressional Task Force on International HIV/AIDS
• Tu Chong, Founder and President, Hong Kong Chi Heng Foundation
• Wang Shuping, veteran Chinese AIDS advocate

Organizers:
Jin Zhong, Chief Editor, Open Books and OPEN Magazine
Bob Fu, President of ChinaAid

For more information or to RSVP for the press conference, contact the following:

For Chinese media (Open Books): Jin Zhong, 347-820-4858.
For English media (ChinaAid):
Jenny McCloy, 202-213-0506, Jenny@ChinaAid.org, or
Annee Kahler, 267-210-8278, Annee@ChinaAid.org.

SOURCE ChinaAid