While a locally produced therapy enlightens the battle with
AIDS, the lack of proper knowledge on prevention does little to
help curb its fast spread in the country.
Though China is at a critical point as the deadly disease is
spreading among average people, many Chinese, particularly rural
people, are still ignorant about AIDS prevention, according to the
Ministry of Health (MOH).
A survey report issued by the MOH on Friday says most Chinese
people only have a superficial understanding or misunderstanding
about AIDS, which will set back the country's control of the
disease.
Conducted in April, the survey covered 3,247 interviewees in
domestic urban and rural areas.
Although more than 90 percent of the interviewees know AIDS is
an epidemic disease, only a fraction of them had a complete picture
of its potential for infection.
A lot of people could name the three ways of AIDS virus
transmission, namely, by blood, sex and maternal ties; however,
they were not sure what will not lead to infection, said Mao
Qun'an, a senior official with MOH.
With limited knowledge, most people choose to keep away from
AIDS patients for fear that they would be infected, said the survey
report.
About 59 percent of the interviewees said they would not work
with an HIV-infected colleague.
Jin Ning, a 25-year-old white collar in Beijing, said she would
not dine with an AIDS patient even if there was no risk of
infection.
He Jing, a college student, said a simple fear of the disease
was enough to hold her back from the patient.
The survey also discovered a lack of knowledge of AIDS
prevention measures among the public.
Only half of the interviewees were aware of the positive role
that condoms play in AIDS prevention.
Less than 40 percent had the knowledge of how to prevent a
maternal infection.
A majority of interviewees were resting assured that AIDS is far
away from their life.
However, the facts are reversed.
China reported about 840,000 HIV carriers in 2003, scattered in
31 municipalities, provinces and autonomous regions, according to
the Chinese Center of Disease Control and Prevention.
That figure was three times more than that in 2001, with an
annual growth rate of 75 percent in the last two years.
In Shanghai, another 213 victims of HIV/AIDS were found by
November 25, making the total registered victims 1,124, local
health officials reported.
The majority of Chinese HIV carriers were infected through blood
transfusions.
However, the ratio of sexual infections doubled between 1997 and
2002 and more Chinese infants became directly infected by their
mothers.
Experts warned that more than 10 million Chinese will be
HIV-positive by 2010, unless effective counter-measures are
taken.
Government voice
Vice-Premier Wu Yi
urged everyone to work to stop the spread of AIDS on Thursday,
according to Xinhua News Agency.
Wu said the spread of HIV/AIDS has brought severe threats to
China's economy and society.
On the same day, Chinese Executive Vice-Minister of Health Gao
Qiang vowed that China will strengthen surveillance of HIV/AIDS to
curb AIDS outbreaks.
So far the country has set up 194 national HIV/AIDS monitoring
stations, more than 2,000 HIV screening labs and 49 confirmation
labs.
Gao said China will continue to promote a 100 percent use of
condoms in entertainment clubs and methadone maintenance therapy
among intravenous drug users.
(China Daily November 27, 2004)