On June 8 in New York City, David D. Ho, Scientific Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center and the Irene Diamond Professor at The Rockefeller University, received the first Lotus Leadership Award given by the Asia Foundation and The Lotus Circle “to recognize individuals who have contributed to the well-being of Asian women and society.”
Carol Yost, director of the Foundation’s Women’s Empowerment Program, and David D. Arnold, President of the Asia Foundation with David Ho.
Ho’s work in China fighting AIDS, particularly among poor rural people and migrants to the cities, has transformed how victims are treated medically and has helped moderate the discrimination faced by Chinese AIDS patients. Asia Foundation President David D. Arnold remarked, “Dr. Ho fundamentally changed the way the scientific community views HIV/AIDS—and he launched the critical shift in the treatment paradigm to treat the virus early—saving countless lives. In Asia, he played a key role in China’s adoption of new AIDS policies; his work catalyzed China’s acceptance of effective treatment and prevention programs.”
Saying that “dreams and aspirations are universal, but not opportunities,” Ho described how he turned the corner on getting the Chinese government to step up to commit to treating HIV patients. Key to this effort was former President Bill Clinton, who helped Ho host China’s first AIDS conference. Clinton’s spontaneous and warm response to a young HIV-positive man who spoke up at the conference quickly persuaded top Chinese top leaders to follow suit and began a turnaround in China's policies to curb the spread of AIDS. “Partnering for Change: Dr. David Ho” is an Asia Foundation video showing this event and describing his activities in Yunnan to prevent HIV/AIDS among mothers and children.
Gina Lin Chu, Oscar Tang, David Ho, and Alice Young at Lotus Leadership Awards Luncheon.
The Lotus Circle is a philanthropic group that supports the Asia Foundation’s Women’s Empowerment Program, which has been particularly active in working with Chinese women migrant workers in Southern China. Arnold said that Ho’s “research and advocacy in China cleared the way for The Asia Foundation to implement a landmark program to educate thousands of migrant women workers in factories in the industrial South to learn about, for the first time, HIV/AIDS.” Among Lotus Circle Advisors are two connected to the Committee of 100, Gina Lin Chu (wife of David Chu) and Alice Young; Chu also co-chaired the June 8 luncheon.
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