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China to improve HIV/AIDS monitoring
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-11-25 00:01
Chinese Executive Vice Health Minister Gao Qiang said here Thursday that
China will strengthen surveillance of HIV/AIDS so as to curb the spread of the
disease.
China has an estimated 840,000 HIV carriers and 80,000 AIDS patients.
However, only about 80,000 HIV carriers are officially recorded. A large
percentage of people living with HIV are off the record and some even don't know
they are infected.
Gao told officials from the United Nations Theme Group on HIV/ AIDS in China
that China has started nationwide HIV testing among the people who used to sell
blood.
"We will also search for HIV carriers among prisoners and people in the drug
abstention house," he said.
In addition, China has strengthened its HIV/AIDS surveillance and reporting
network. Gao said so far the country has set up 194 national HIV/AIDS monitoring
stations, more than 2,000 HIV screening labs and 49 confirmation labs.
"Only when we get to know the exact number of China's HIV carriers and
AIDS patients, can treatment be carried out effectively," he said.
In 2003, the Chinese government announced that it will offer free
anti-retroviral therapy to AIDS patients in rural areas and urban AIDS patients
with financial difficulties.
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| Chinese actor Pu Cunxin [R] performs with HIV carriers in Chengdu,
capital of Southwest China's Sichuan Province on November 22.
[newsphoto] | "We hope the free anti-retroviral therapy will soon be expanded to
cover all the places of China," he said.
Meanwhile, the vice minister said the Chinese government will continue to
promote the intervention measures targeting high risk behaviors. These include
the 100 percent use of condoms in entertainment clubs and methadone maintenance
therapy among intravenous drug users.
In the meeting, Gao also expressed China's appreciation of international
assistance.
"Our work can't be done without the care and help of the international
community," he said. "As a responsible country, China is committed to playing a
bigger role in the global fight against HIV/AIDS and the construction of a
global public health network."
Khalid Malik, resident coordinator of the UN System in China, said the
UN Theme Group on HIV/AIDS in China will continue to work together with China in
the areas of surveillance, treatment, intervention and evaluation.
The UN Theme Group on HIV/AIDS in China was established in 1996. It has
been working closely with the Chinese side in HIV/AIDS prevention and control in
recent years. In 2003, the organization issued an assessment report on HIV/AIDS
in China together with China's Health Ministry.
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