More than 300 new AIDS patients and HIV carriers have been detected
in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province in South China, in the
first seven months this year, according to a senior official from
the Guangzhou Municipal Public Health Bureau yesterday.
The figure represents an increase of more than 100 percent from the
same period last year.
Most of Guangzhou's AIDS patients are men and drug addicts. Some
contract AIDS during casual sexual activities and blood
transfusions.
To
help prevent the fatal disease from spreading throughout the city,
officials have urged local residents and tourists to keep away from
drugs and casual sex.
The official, who preferred to remain anonymous, also promised to
expand annual investment to fight AIDS.
More than 8.3 million yuan (US$1 million) will be spent this
year.
This includes 1.3 million yuan (US$156,000) to promote AIDS
prevention, 7 million yuan (US$843,300) to import new and advanced
AIDS testing and treatment facilities and purchase medicine.
Meanwhile local deputies of the People's Congress and members of
the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, have
recently jointly suggested to the Guangzhou municipal government to
build an AIDS treatment and care center to help handle the city's
sharp increase in AIDS patients and HIV carriers, the officials
said.
The center will offer medical services as well as consultations to
AIDS patients.
The number of AIDS patients and HIV carriers has seen an average
annual increase of more than 80 percent.
By
the end of 2001, there were more than 600 AIDS patients and HIV
carriers in the southern Chinese metropolis that detected its first
AIDS patient in 1986.
Of
them, 80 were AIDS patients and 520 HIV carriers, making Guangzhou
the city with the third largest population in Guangdong of HIV/AIDS
patients.
Guangdong has become the fourth province with the largest
population for HIV/AIDS patients in the country that has more than
600,000 AIDS patients and HIV carriers.
Yunnan Province in Southwest China is the worst HIV/AIDS hit
region. It is followed by the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and
the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region which borders Guangdong
Province.
Lack of capital and local anti-AIDS awareness has contributed to
the sharp growth of HIV/AIDS patients in Guangzhou in recent years,
the official added.
(China Daily August 17,
2002)