China calls for stepped-up AIDS prevention drive
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-11-30 15:55

China's health minister warned on Wednesday that the spread of AIDS could affect the nation's economic development and its "rise or decline," and stressed the need for strong prevention measures.

Minister Gao Qiang said China aimed to keep the number of people infected by the HIV virus to below 1.5 million by 2010. "AIDS prevention work is an issue relating to the quality of the population, economic development, social stability and the rise or decline of the country," Gao told a news conference.

The central government was spending 800 million yuan on AIDS prevention this year, up from 100 million yuan in 2002, Gao said.

The estimated number of Chinese infected with HIV through contaminated blood transfusions was 70,000, and Beijing had reduced such cases after "striking hard" against illegal blood sales and closing down grassroots blood donation and collection stations, he said without elaborating.

"There are no blood collection and donation stations below the county level," Gao said.

The ministry had drafted a five-year AIDS prevention action plan which was now awaiting cabinet approval, he said.

China's prevention measures included educating students at 90,000 high schools and 2,100 universities and farmers in 740,000 villages, the minister said.

Gao said the government would launch a campaign on Thursday, World AIDS Day, to educate millions of migrant workers -- farmers who flock to cities in search of higher-paying jobs.

The government has boosted official accountability and vowed to prosecute officials for cover-ups which lead to the spread of AIDS, Gao said, adding that cooperation with the World Health Organization and other U.N. agencies has been smooth.

About 2 million people, including drug users, had undergone tests, about 40,000 of whom tested positive, he said, but did not say over what period the tests had been conducted.