Famous Chinese physician and advocate Gao Yaojie, who brought attention to the AIDS epidemic in rural China during the 1990s, passed away on Sunday at 95 years old in her home in the United States.

Gao’s open criticism of the virus outbreak, estimated to have affected tens of thousands, caused embarrassment for the Chinese government. As a result, she chose to live in self-imposed exile in Manhattan, New York for more than ten years.

Andrew J. Nathan, a professor at Columbia University and a specialist in Chinese politics, who held Gao’s legal power of attorney and oversaw some of her affairs, has verified her passing.

After publicly denouncing the blood-selling schemes that caused thousands to contract HIV, particularly in her native Henan province in central China, Gao rose to become a prominent advocate for AIDS awareness in China. Though the government initially resisted, they eventually recognized Gao’s efforts in addressing the ongoing AIDS crisis that plagued the country well into the 2000s.

Gao’s work received recognition from international organizations and officials. She moved to the U.S. in 2009, where she began holding talks and writing books about her experiences.

In a previous interview with the Associated Press, she stated that she faced pressure from the government but remained determined in her work because she believes in the responsibility of helping her own people. As a doctor, she sees it as her duty and finds it worthwhile.

She expressed her hope that Chinese authorities would confront the truth and address the actual problems, rather than concealing them.

Gao, a traveling gynecologist, would travel for days to treat patients in rural villages. In 1996, she encountered her first HIV patient, a woman who had contracted the virus from a transfusion during surgery. The local blood bank operators would frequently use unclean needles and mix leftover blood from farmers, resulting in the spread of viruses like HIV. This method was highly detrimental and almost certain to transmit harmful infections.

During that period, Gao conducted research on the crisis by personally visiting individuals’ homes. She would often come across heartbreaking scenarios where parents were succumbing to AIDS and their children were being left without caregivers. While there are no official statistics, it is believed that tens of thousands of people were infected with HIV during this time, but the government did not conduct a national survey as they were attempting to hide the severity of the crisis.

Gao provided nourishment, garments, and medication to sickly residents in the village. She raised awareness about the spread of HIV, gaining the interest of nearby journalists and frustrating local authorities, who supported irresponsible blood banks. Government officials made numerous attempts to block her from going overseas, where she was receiving recognition for her efforts.

In 2001, the government denied her request for a passport to attend an award ceremony in the United States hosted by a United Nations organization. In 2007, Henan officials placed her under house arrest for approximately 20 days in order to prevent her from obtaining a U.S. visa in Beijing for another award. However, the central government ultimately overruled this decision and granted her permission to leave China. Upon arrival in Washington D.C., Gao expressed gratitude to then-President Hu Jintao for allowing her to travel.

Gao’s birthdate is Dec. 19, 1927, in the Shandong province located in the east. She spent her childhood in a chaotic period of China’s past, marked by a Japanese invasion and a civil war that led to the rise of the Communist Party, led by Mao Zedong.

She and her family relocated to Henan, where she pursued a medical degree at a university in the area. Despite facing violence from Maoist “red guards” due to her family’s past as landlords during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, she continued to express disapproval of Mao throughout her life.

Following the announcement of her passing on Monday, Chinese online platforms were inundated with expressions of sympathy, although a few also voiced disapproval of her decision to relocate to the United States and her stance against the Chinese administration.

A commenter on the social media platform Weibo wrote that Dr. Gao Yaojie has devoted herself entirely to helping AIDS patients and that those with a moral compass will never forget her contributions.

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Reporter Mistreanu filed this report from Taipei, Taiwan. Wanqing Chen, a researcher for the Associated Press, and writer Ken Moritsugu from Beijing also contributed to this story.