Q: The spread of AIDS is quickening in China. What is
its current prevalence? What measures has China taken to prevent
the spread of AIDS in the country?
A: Since China reported its first case of AIDS in 1985, AIDS has
been spreading in the country. According to incomplete statistics,
through the end of 2004, 48 percent of counties around China had
reported HIV-positive cases or confirmed AIDS cases; the cumulative
number of reported HIV-positive cases was 106,990, of which 23,955
were confirmed AIDS cases. These numbers from the health
departments account for only 12.7 percent of the total number of
HIV cases, which is estimated at 840,000. This estimate was
obtained by monitoring stations established throughout the country,
especially in some high-risk areas according to the increasing rate
of the number of reported HIV-positive cases. The experts make the
conclusion after surveillance that China is currently experiencing
a relatively steady rise in HIV cases.
Currently, AIDS is spreading in China from high-risk groups such
as drug abusers, prostitutes and people who visit prostitutes, into
the general population; the proportion of sexually transmitted HIV
infections is increasing and the proportion of female HIV cases has
increased considerably. Homosexuals have the second-highest rate of
infection. Both the incidence and the death rate of AIDS continue
to rise, and these numbers could double in 2005.
In terms of AIDS prevention and treatment, the Chinese
Government has promised to offer free anti retro-viral medicine to
rural AIDS patients and urban AIDS patients with financial
difficulty who don't have basic medical insurance; offer free
consultations and preliminary screening of AIDS to those who
voluntarily go for such services; offer free medicine for
HIV-infected pregnant women to help prevent mother-baby
transmission as well as free baby-testing reagents; and exempt
orphans of AIDS patients from tuition fees. At the same time, China
has brought AIDS patients who are experiencing difficulties into
the scope of governmental relief and is providing these people with
a necessary living allowance according to related regulations,
while helping AIDS patients who are able to work to carry out
productive activities to increase their income.
To achieve a timely and accurate grasp of the scale and trend of
AIDS prevalence, China increased its input in the control of the
AIDS epidemic from 120 million yuan (US$14.51 million) to 470
million yuan (US$56.83 million) in 2004, which was spent on the
construction of the public health system and on the monitoring and
screening of the AIDS epidemic. By the end of 2004, the number of
national-level AIDS monitoring posts had grown from 194 in 2003 to
247, and the number of provincial-level monitoring posts had risen
to more than 400. Key groups of people being monitored include drug
abusers, prostitutes, homosexuals, people who seek medical advice
in venereal disease clinics, long-distance bus drivers, people who
visit hospitals in anonymity, and pregnant and lying-in women.
In addition, China will further publicize that it offers free
treatment to AIDS patients, to dispel the concerns of rural and
low-income HIV carriers and the discrimination against AIDS
patients, as well as to increase the initiative of high-risk groups
to take the tests. Meanwhile, the country will continue to build
and train professional teams to deal with HIV and AIDS. The
emphasis lies in enhancing HIV/AIDS tests and monitoring in the 10
provinces with the severest AIDS epidemic and 127 demonstrative
areas of AIDS prevention and treatment, reinforcing care for
HIV-infected persons and actively exploring models of prevention,
treatment and administration that are suited to China's
conditions.
The State Council established a working committee on AIDS
prevention and treatment in February 2004, presided over by a vice
premier. There is reason to believe that with the joint effort of
all the Chinese people and with energetic international support, we
will be able to control the spread of AIDS in China.