Shame in China as village votes to expel HIV-positive boy
The plight of an eight-year-old Chinese boy with HIV, reportedly ordered to leave his village by 200 petitioners, sparked intense online soul-searching Thursday in a country where discrimination against sufferers remains rife.
The boy's guardian, his grandfather, was among those in southwestern Sichuan province who signed an agreement to expel the child to "protect villagers' health", the Global Times reported.
The newspaper, which has close ties to the ruling Communist Party, said the boy contracted the virus from his mother.
Previous reports said the boy -- who was given the pseudonym Kunkun by Chinese media -- was refused admission to local schools and villagers would avoid contact with him.
"Nobody plays (with me), I play alone," Kunkun said, according to a report Wednesday on the website of the People's Daily newspaper.
The Global Times said the boy's mother left the family in 2006, while his father "lost contact" after Kunkun's condition was diagnosed.
He needs to start medication asap
Medication and education is the best way to stop spreading the virus
Adhering to your medicine lowers you chance of infecting others by 96%
So vile and inhumane.
The child did not CHOOSE to contract the illness.
Karma is real!
Hopefully he receives the help he needs by qualified individuals.
So vile and inhumane.
The child did not CHOOSE to contract the illness.
Karma is real!
Hopefully he receives the help he needs by qualified individuals.
Nobody chooses to contract it. The issue is the fact that HIV is still so stigmatized to a point where people are scared for the well-being of a community because one person has HIV. lol.
