Visiting United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan lauds
China's AIDS prevention and control efforts and urges the people to
do away with discrimination against AIDS patients and help them
treat the disease.
While touring the Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Chaoyang District in the Chinese capital, Annan inspected the test
and monitoring facilities and chatted with Beijing HIV
patients.
The UN chief extended his congratulations to the medical staff on
the sport site for their superb work and said he was very pleased
to see China was making tremendous efforts in the battle against
AIDS.
Citing prevention and treatment of AIDS as a great cause, Annan
said one of the most important aspects of the cause is that all
people from all walks of life in society should be educated about
the disease.
Fred Eckhard, the spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said that
although the rate of infection in China is relatively limited at
present, it could become a scourge if not timely controlled.
Annan was very pleased to witness that China has been making
efforts in the past two years, Eckhard acknowledged. The Chinese
government has successfully launched a drive from the top to the
grassroots level, raising national awareness of AIDS.
The latest official statistics, at the end of 2003, showed that
China had about 840,000 HIV infected people.
Annan expressed the hope that all of China will do away with
discrimination against AIDS carriers and encourage them to receive
medical checks and get prompt, early treatment.
(Xinhua News Agency October 13, 2004)