Experts: Make a choice, condom or AIDS
(Chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2004-07-30 16:56

Following the AIDS prevention project launched by the national health and family planning departments, Beijing, Jiangsu Province and several other cities and provinces will begin to provide condoms in public places from August.

Statistics indicate that in China, while 64% of HIV/AIDS cases are caused by drug use, sexual transmission is picking up, at a two-digit rate.

Vice-Premier Wu Yi has stressed that China's AIDS prevention and control work is at a crucial stage because the epidemic may spread from high-risk groups to normal people.

Recently, six departments, including the Ministry of Health, the State Population and Family Planning Commission, and the State Food and Drug Administration, jointly issued the rules and recommendations on extensive use of condoms to prevent HIV/AIDS. It stated that free condoms will be distributed under the health and family planning network. It also emphasized the importance to combat discrimination against AIDS patients and HIV carriers.

In response, Beijing Health Department has ordered high schools and universities to install a certain number of automatic condom vending machines; all hotels, guesthouses, bars, discos and construction sites with many migrant workers are required to provide condoms or have condoms sold. After all, it is hoped that hotels and guesthouses can provide free condoms for customers, according to a China News Service report.

According to figures of the Beijing Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the number of HIV carriers in Beijing has increased at a rate of nearly 41 per cent annually since 1998, totalling 1,648 people by last year.

The nationwide condom-usage promotion campaign is conducted by the AIDS Prevention Committee set up by the State Council. The Ministry of Health is in charge of organizing the medical and health institutions to educate the public about AIDS, and to provide free condoms for AIDS patients and HIV carriers.

In addition, the Chinese government has taken a number of other measures in this regard, including free treatment for the poor, the establishment of AIDS control centers, the legislation of AIDS-related laws and international cooperation.

With 840,000 HIV carriers reported, of whom 80,000 suffer AIDS, China is ranked second in Asia and 14th in the world in terms of HIV/AIDS patients. Some experts warn that over 10 million Chinese will be HIV-positive in 2010, unless effective measures are taken.

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