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After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
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Reducing HIV-Related Stigma in Health Care Settings: A Randomized Controlled Trial in China

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Li, L., Wu, Z., Liang, L. J., Lin, C., Guan, J., Jia, M., . . . Yan, Z. (2013). Reducing HIV-Related Stigma in Health Care Settings: A Randomized Controlled Trial in China. Am J Public Health, 103(2), 286-292. doi: 10.2105/ajph.2012.300854

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the intervention was to reduce service providers' stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors toward people living with HIV.

METHODS: The randomized controlled trial was conducted in 40 county-level hospitals in 2 provinces of China between October 2008 and February 2010. Forty-four service providers were randomly selected from each hospital, yielding a total of 1760 study participants. We randomized the hospitals to either an intervention condition or a control condition. In the intervention hospitals, about 15% of the popular opinion leaders were identified and trained to disseminate stigma reduction messages.

RESULTS: We observed significant improvements for the intervention group in reducing prejudicial attitudes (P < .001), reducing avoidance intent towards people living with HIV (P < .001), and increasing institutional support in the hospitals (P = .003) at 6 months after controlling for service providers' background factors and clinic-level characteristics. The intervention effects were sustained and strengthened at 12 months.

CONCLUSIONS: The intervention reduced stigmatizing attitudes and behaviors among service providers. It has the potential to be integrated into the health care systems in China and other countries.