Though highly active anti-retroviral therapy（HAART/ART）has been identified as a crucial strategy in global HIV/AIDS care and prevention，the public health model with clinical perspective for strengthening adherence for HAART/ART is facing cultural challenges in indigenous and ethnic contexts. Evidence drawn from the non-clinical study in ethnic communities in China indicates，adopting socio-anthropological practice focusing upon ethnic empowerment approach for promoting HAART/ART adherence need to stress and to build key variables based on ethnic context as theoretic-empirical agenda to beyond clinical expertise-oriented public health model.