China calls for stepped-up AIDS prevention drive (Reuters) Updated: 2005-11-30 15:55
China's health minister warned on Wednesday that the spread of AIDS could
affect the nation's economic development and its "rise or decline," and stressed
the need for strong prevention measures.
Minister Gao Qiang said China aimed to keep the number of people infected by
the HIV virus to below 1.5 million by 2010. "AIDS prevention work is an issue
relating to the quality of the population, economic development, social
stability and the rise or decline of the country," Gao told a news conference.
The central government was spending 800 million yuan on AIDS prevention this
year, up from 100 million yuan in 2002, Gao said.
The estimated number of Chinese infected with HIV through contaminated blood
transfusions was 70,000, and Beijing had reduced such cases after "striking
hard" against illegal blood sales and closing down grassroots blood donation and
collection stations, he said without elaborating.
"There are no blood collection and donation stations below the county level," Gao
said.
The ministry had drafted a five-year AIDS prevention action plan which was
now awaiting cabinet approval, he said.
China's prevention measures included educating students at 90,000 high
schools and 2,100 universities and farmers in 740,000 villages, the minister
said.
Gao said the government would launch a campaign on Thursday, World AIDS Day,
to educate millions of migrant workers -- farmers who flock to cities in search
of higher-paying jobs.
The government has boosted official accountability and vowed to prosecute
officials for cover-ups which lead to the spread of AIDS, Gao said, adding that
cooperation with the World Health Organization and other U.N. agencies has been
smooth.
About 2 million people, including drug users, had undergone tests, about
40,000 of whom tested positive, he said, but did not say over what period the
tests had been conducted.
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