Kunming residents took part in activities at Jin bi Square to mark World AIDS Day on 1 December, but this year there was a new twist to the day: people could take part in two interactive games, which provided an opportunity to learn about HIV and AIDS. The Knowledge Card game tested participants' knowledge about HIV and AIDS, whilst a version of Yong gan de xin provided information as players moved along the squares.

The games and activities were organised by HomeAIDS, an HIV and AIDS information and education centre in Kunming, Yunnan Province. The organisation has been raising awareness about HIV and AIDS in Yunnan Province since it was launched in 2002. Originally a project implemented by the Salvation Army Hong Kong and Macau Command and the Yunnan Red Cross, HomeAIDS was recently recognised as a registered organisation in Yunnan.

Mr Li Yun Liang, 30, about to roll the die in the Yong gan de xin game.

Despite the fun and games, the underlying aim was serious: to dispel myths about how HIV is transmitted and to tackle stigma and discrimination towards people with HIV. Yunnan is one of the provinces worst affected by HIV and AIDS, with 57,325 registered people with HIV/AIDS out of a total of 252,000 reported cases across China. Awareness is key to reduce the number of new infections, especially as an estimated 500,000 people in China still do not know they are HIV positive. An equally important aspect is to challenge stigma and discrimination – a recent survey carried out by the China HIV/AIDS Media Partnership showed that almost half of the people interviewed are still unwilling to eat at the same place as an infected person.

"This is the first time we used games as a way to share information," said Ms Zhao Juan, the Executive Director of HomeAIDS. "Participants had fun but also took the opportunity to learn about HIV and AIDS, which was ultimately our aim for the day."

One of these participants was Mr Li Yun Liang, 30, from Kunming who played both the Knowledge Card game and Yong gan de xin. "I think this is a fun and new way to learn information about HIV. It is especially useful for younger people and should be extended to universities but also to middle schools," Mr Li said.

World AIDS Day 2008 was used as a platform to reach new audiences, but the work will carry on throughout the year. HomeAIDS will continue to train student peer educators and develop its work with numerous communities in Kunming, to ensure that an ever growing number of people are aware of HIV, how to prevent infection and how to support and live alongside people with HIV.