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Number of HIV/AIDS patients reaches 130,000
By Ling Hu (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-11-29 06:34
More than 130,000 confirmed HIV/AIDS carriers and patients have been reported
nationwide by the end of September about 50,000 higher than the figure in the
end of June last year.
"The HIV/AIDS situation in our country remains grave and the task for
prevention and cure remains tough," said Vice-Premier Wu Yi yesterday, at a
national audio-video conference on HIV/AIDS prevention.
But the number is only about 16.1 per cent of the estimated HIV/AIDS cases in
the country due to insufficient testing and monitoring measures, Wu said.
A woman
reads condom use promotion booklet before a blown-up condom at a
Beijing campus. [Reuters] |
While taking drugs through injections, which accounts for 40.8 per cent of
HIV/AIDS infection cases, remains the main channel for spreading the virus, the
ratio of infection from sexual transmission is also rising, according to Wu.
The central government will soon unveil the China HIV/AIDS Prevention and
Care Project (2006-10) and HIV/AIDS prevention and care regulation, serving as
guidelines as the country faces a host of challenges in the fight against the
deadly virus.
However, implementation of the guidelines would be the biggest challenge.
Some local governments are still sluggish in the HIV/AIDS prevention work
because of concerns of their "image," or a blind confidence that the virus would
simply not hit their jurisdiction. Some places are even stuck on the debate of
whether they should promote the use of condoms.
"It is my opinion that awareness is the biggest problem in our work on
HIV/AIDS, and it has to be addressed," Wu said.
Strengthening publicity, monitoring efforts and intervention measures will be
the government's focus in fighting the deadly virus, according to Wu.
The government will also mobilize non-governmental organizations and
resources in HIV/AIDS prevention tasks, she added.
The government allocated 830 million yuan (US$10.2 million) in the fight on
HIV/AIDS last year.
(China Daily 11/29/2005 page2)
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