AIDS infections continue to rise in China

The number of confirmed HIV and AIDS cases in China totaled 370,000 as of the end of October 2010, with 132,440 cases of infections and more than 68,000 cases of death, according to a report on the AIDS prevention and control released by the Ministry of Health on Nov. 29.

China has made remarkable achievements in AIDS prevention and control in recent years, with spread of the disease basically contained and the death rate dramatically dropping. In addition, the quality of life of HIV/AIDS sufferers has also improved considerably.

Joint research by the Health Ministry, United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that the HIV/AIDS virus carriers and patients in China by the end of 2009 totaled 740,000, including 105,000 AIDS patients. The new infections in 2009 stood at 48,000, and related death at 26,000.

The report also said that thanks to social and economic development as well as steady progress in AIDS prevention and control in the past two years, the AIDS epidemic in China has shown three new characteristics.

First, the AIDS epidemic has continued to spread, but with slow proliferation rate. Thanks to China's intensified efforts on AIDS-related publicity, education, consultation and antiviral treatment, there have been a growing number of HIV/AIDS patients discovered and there has been a considerable decline in the mortality rate.

According to the AIDS monitoring over the past two years, the spread of the AIDS epidemic is slowing down. The annual increase of HIV/AIDS infections and AIDS patients has dropped from the previous 16.8 percent in 2008 to 9.3 percent in 2009, and the growth in first 10 months in 2010 declined by 1.4 percent.

Second, sexual transmission has become the main cause of the spread of the HIV/AIDS virus and male homosexual transmission has been on a considerable rise. AIDS reports show that the percentage of heterosexual transmission of AIDS has increased from 40.3 percent in 2008 to 47.1 percent in 2009, and that of male homosexual transmission of AIDS increased from 5.9 percent in 2008 to 8.6 percent in 2009.

Third, the AIDS epidemic is more serious in some regions and among certain population groups. The combined number of HIV/AIDS patients reported by Yunnan, Guangxi, Henan, Sichuan, Xinjiang and Guangdong accounts for 77.1 percent of China's total.

By People's Daily Online