China villagers turn to music to prevent spread of AIDS

In south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, an area renowned for its history of musical folklore, local residents have found a unique way to spread knowledge regarding AIDS prevention. "All people unite to fight AIDS! AIDS will stay away if we are equipped with AIDS knowledge," state the lyrics of one song that was penned by local songwriters as part of a local anti-AIDS campaign. "We asked eight local singers to write and record songs about the disease. We think this is an effective way for local people to acquire AIDS knowledge," said 55-year-old Huang Zhanghui, a resident of the village of Shantun. He said that the songs are played through loudspeakers in his village every evening. The songwriting campaign has been effective because folk songs are a traditional artform in the region, making them more readily understandable and acceptable for local residents, Huang said. Guangxi has been one of the hardest-hit areas in China in terms of the number of AIDS infections discovered there, ranking only after central China's Henan Province. More than 76 percent of the infections are sexually transmitted, according to Ge Xianmin, an official from the AIDS prevention office of the Guangxi regional government. Bama County, which administers Shantun, is known for the longevity of its residents. Nearly 2,500 of its residents are more than 80 years old, and another 81 have celebrated their 100th birthdays. "We will not let AIDS threaten this tradition," Huang said. Huang was selected to be the head of the village's AIDS prevention office just two months ago. In addition to the creation of folk songs, the office spreads AIDS prevention knowledge through text messages and publicly screened films.