AIDS Networks, social organisations and medical pluralism in China : southern China and the mainland southeast Asia links

International audienceFollowing a brief introduction on the current AIDS situation in China, three different lines of study will be discussed in this paper. The first line introduces the responses to the epidemic, and some specific aspects of Chinese social organisations. These latter play a major role in the launching of AIDS projects in co-operation with other organisations both international and national, governmental and non-governmental. The second line focuses on the study of the medical system and the use of Traditional Chinese Medicine for AIDS prevention and care: the impact of social and cultural constraints such as local beliefs and practices related to health and illness and the kinship system, is emphasized. The third underlines South China links with Mainland Southeast Asia in the context of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Both regions share epidemic patterns and a number of additional factors facilitating the spread of HIV. The vulnerability of ethnic groups, most of them highlanders, is highlighted