Southwest China's Yunnan Province set up seven more methadone
mobile clinics in 2007 in the rural areas bordering the Golden
Triangle in an effort to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.
The province had intended to open 22 new clinics early last year
but only 14 were set up by the end of 2007, bringing the total
number of methadone clinics to 67 including eight mobile ones, said
Zhang Ruimin, deputy director of the Yunnan Provincial Institute
for Drug Abuse.
The seven new mobile clinics provide treatment for people in
Dai-Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture of Dehong, Hani-Yi Autonomous
Prefecture of Honghe, Lincang City and Baoshan City, which cover
most of the rural border areas.
Bordering the Golden Triangle drug-producing area which covers
parts of Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, Yunnan has suffered from
crippling heroin addiction in recent years.
According to statistics from the provincial AIDS prevention and
control bureau, Yunnan had recorded 56,054 HIV infections by
September last year, which made up a quarter of the country's
official total - 220,000 HIV carriers. Most of them were drug
users, according to the bureau.
"Methadone treatment is an effective way to prevent HIV from
spreading among drug users," said Zhang. "However, those drug
addicts in rural areas usually have a slim chance of receiving
methadone treatment."
China had more than 500 methadone treatment clinics in 23
provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities at the end of last
year since the program was initiated in 2003. A total of 95,000
drug users had received treatment.
Yunnan opened its first methadone treatment clinic in Gejiu City
in April 2004.
(Xinhua News Agency January 6, 2008)