The central province of Henan will promote the use of traditional Chinese medicine in treating HIV/AIDS carriers in an all-around way starting this June, a source with the provincial health bureau said Friday.

The move is aimed at preventing the spread of the killer disease and pursuing the effectiveness of treating HIV/AIDS carriers in the province.

The source said that adoption of traditional Chinese medicine in preventing and treating HIV/AIDS carriers would be mainly carried out in rural areas. A special team will be set up to carryout the work.

The first HIV carrier in the province was reported in 1995 and the number has risen to the current 35,000, who mainly live in rural areas.

China reportedly has 840,000 HIV carriers, including 80,000 AIDS patients.

(Xinhua News Agency May 8, 2004)