Northeast China's Heilongjiang
Province is reaching a critical stage in the fight against
HIV/AIDS, as the HIV infection rate is increasing rapidly, sources
with the Heilongjiang Provincial Health Department said.
By September this year, 261 HIV/AIDS cases have been detected in
the province.
Since the province found its first HIV positive case in 1993, 64
people have shown symptoms and another 36 have died of the disease,
the department revealed.
"HIV infection is increasing fast in the province," said Jin
Lianhong, director of the department.
Twelve out of the 13 regions of the province have reported HIV
positive cases, he said.
Male youths account for the majority of the cases, but there is
an increasing number of female youths getting affected.
The percentage of female HIV/AIDS carriers has risen to 33.8
percent from 19.6 percent in 1999.
"We are coming to a dangerous peak time when the disease begins
to break out in bulk," Jin said.
"And the disease has begun to spread from high-risk groups to
the masses, which is a very bad trend," he said.
Sexual transmission is becoming the top culprit in spreading the
disease, according to the official.
And though the number being infected with HIV-AIDS in
Heilongjiang Province is among the lowest in the country, there may
be many undetected cases.
"Limited by financial reasons and a lack of manpower, we were
not able to make a comprehensive and thorough survey," he said.
"That means the number of cases may vary from the stated
number," Jin added cautiously.
Zhuang Tao, director of the Venereal Disease and AIDS Prevention
and Control Association of China, said that another lurking danger
that may add to the increase of HIV/AIDS cases in Heilongjiang is
that it borders on Russia, which has seen a rapid increase of
HIV/AIDS cases in recent years. "Risks of being infected may rise
as the trade volume between the two countries has been soaring in
the port cities of Heilongjiang Province," Zhuang said.
Faced with this urgent situation, Jin said that they are setting
up a local administration to combat the disease.
"Through our cooperation with the nationwide AIDS combating
association, we hope to establish a local distribution centre to
spread necessary information and help for those who are in need,"
Jin said.
Jin concluded by saying that the province's rural regions and
migrant workers are the primary targets for future efforts.
(China Daily October 7, 2005)