China Admits AIDS Epidemic Requires Urgent Measures

Articles: China Admits AIDS Epidemic Requires Urgent Measures

Posted by admin on Monday, May 10, 2004 - 02:11 AM

The Chinese government admitted Sunday that AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) in China continues to be rapidly spreading and a "series of urgent measures" must be taken to curb the problem. The State Council, Chinese cabinet announced the new measures in a circular released Sunday.
China reported its first case of HIV 19 years ago and the fight against the disease is being ramped up. Currently, there are 840,000 HIV carriers in China, with 80,000 suffering full blown AIDS. Some health organizations dispute these numbers, suspecting the number of people in China with HIV is much higher. Some health experts warn by 2010, the number of HIV positive people in the country could reach 10 million. China's Vice Prime Minister Wu Yi, says China is at a "crucial stage", because the disease is threatening to jump from high risk groups into the general population. In the past, the Chinese government attempted to conceal information about HIV/AIDS in China. New measures to curb the disease in China include enhanced management of blood collection services with a crackdown on illegal blood collection. According to the 12 page circular released by the government, China also plans to hold major governmental leaders responsible for AIDS spreading. They promised to severely punish officials breaching their duty or hiding epidemic reports. Education will also be a key part of the new plan to curb AIDS with a wide range of measures to educate the public on prevention and risk.

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