A children's welfare organization unveiled a logo and theme song yesterday in Beijing as part of its effort to raise public awareness of children affected by HIV/AIDS.

According to Sun Zhigang, who heads the China Youth Concern Committee Development Center, hundreds of thousands of children in China have been orphaned or made vulnerable by the pandemic.

And despite the steps taken to address HIV/AIDS in the country, stigma and discrimination still cast shadows over the children and prevent them from realizing the opportunities that other children enjoy.

"Some lost one or both parents because of AIDS," Sun said, "and some even infected the deadly disease."

According to incomplete statistics, 7.4 per cent of China's 80,000 patients with full blown AIDS are under 18. "Most of the children haunted by this fatal disease are living in provinces hit hardest by the virus, such as (central China's) Henan and (southwest China's) Yunnan provinces," Sun said.

He also said his organization has spent around 700,000 yuan (US$85,000) this year on enhancing public awareness of the children's plight.

Christian Voumard, an official with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), was also there to lend his support.

"I would like to thank the organization for ... taking the lead in developing materials that will be key social mobilization tools," Voumard said.

China has promised free education to orphans of HIV/AIDS victims and is fighting to eliminate the stigma associated with the disease.

Even so, Voumard said: "Let's be realistic" because he believes it will "take some time" for China to eliminate prejudice shown against the children.

(China Daily June 23, 2005)