St Stephen's AIDS Trust has been participating in educational events in China for many years, working with the Barry and Martin Trust (www.barryandmartin.org) and the Ditan and Youan Hospitals in Beijing.   A successful scholarship programme, sponsored by SSAT and Barry and Martin Trust,  has also been running for over 5 years,  offering short, intensive courses in the management and care of HIV to to HIV physicians from all over China. 

Following a visit to Chelsea and Westminster in the Autumn of 2009 by Professor Xu Keyi from Ditan Hospital in Beijing,   plans were discussed to hold  a joint conference between SSAT and the Ditan Hospital, in the management and HIV treatment and care.  The key objective identified by Professor Xu Keyi  was to address poor local understanding of the importance of adherence to medication among medical professionals in HIV care.   With funding made available by MSD,  SSAT and the Ditan Hospital announced the First Joint Comprehensive Management of HIV Treatment and Care Conference in Beijing,  with  speakers from the UK, Brazil and China.   The 2 day programme was held in February 2010,  and targeted Chinese physicians involved in HIV care,   providing an update on HIV care based on national and international guidelines.   There were over 100 delegates,  two thirds of which were HIV physicians working in hospitals in Beijing and other cities, with others working in Public Health Departments.