A team of specialists visited a Central China village where HIV and AIDS are rampant as a result of illegal blood donations, seeking to alleviate the crisis.
The group visited Wenlou Village in Henan Province recently to get a first-hand glimpse of how the deadly virus has ravaged an impoverished nook of China.
During their stay, the officials listened to reports by local officials about the AIDS situation before visiting village clinics and the homes of people with AIDS and HIV. They also observed patients receiving medical treatment at local hospitals and met with villagers and patients.
Vice-Minister of Health Yin Dakui, head of the group, conducted medical checkups on some AIDS patients and brought greetings from central government authorities alarmed by the situation.
Henan Deputy Governor Li Zhibin vowed to adopt effective measures to reduce the suffering and curb the spread of HIV. The problem started in the early 1990s when some people illegally collected blood plasma in rural areas by starting up donation centers without permits in rural areas.
(People’s Daily 08/09/2001)
