People who are HIV positive or suffering from AIDS can be
charged with a serious crime if they purposefully infect other
people with the disease, say Chinese police.
"Those who are fully aware they are infected with the AIDS virus
and deliberately infect others should be severely punished
according to law," said an official with the public security
bureau, who refused to reveal his name even though he was giving a
lecture to other police officers on Tuesday.
He called for stronger efforts in monitoring entertainment
venues to "crackdown on prostitution, drug trafficking and drug
use, which not only safeguards society but would also cut channels
of HIV transmission."
He also urged security departments to work with health
departments to crack down on illegal blood collecting.
Police should educate HIV carriers who are under arrest for
involvement in crimes, work with local health departments to
conduct clinical observation and alert local health departments
when they are released, he added.
He called on Chinese police who are in frequent contacts with
HIV/AIDS risk groups raise their awareness of the disease to better
protect themselves.
At Tuesday's lecture, police across the country learned about
the AIDS situation in China, national policies relating to AIDS and
prevention measures.
China has an estimated 650,000 people living with HIV/AIDS,
including 75,000 with full blown AIDS. The Health Ministry reported
last week that the number of people officially reported as HIV
infected had risen 27.5 percent since the beginning of the year, to
more than 180,000.
(Xinhua News Agency December 6, 2006)