The Chinese government on Thursday
established a new national AIDS prevention committee that will "beef up"
the country's efforts to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, the People's
Daily reports (People's Daily, 2/27). The committee will
be headed by Vice Premier Wu Yi, who is also the country's health minister,
according to the South China Morning Post (Jiangtao, South China
Morning Post, 2/27). The committee, which will consist of senior officials
from 23 departments of the central government and officials from seven
provinces with high HIV/AIDS prevalence, will write rules and policies
for HIV/AIDS prevention and coordinate "related major issues" in mobilizing
the resources needed to combat the disease, the China Daily reports.
Wu called on Chinese authorities to "earnestly carry out" four government
policies already in place, including the provision of free antiretroviral
treatment for individuals who cannot afford the drugs; free and anonymous
HIV testing in areas with high HIV prevalence; free counseling services
and antiretroviral treatment for HIV-positive pregnant women; and free
schooling for AIDS orphans (Nei, China Daily, 2/27). Wu said that
the government also plans to launch a widespread publicity campaign to
educate the Chinese public about HIV/AIDS, according to Xinhua New Agency
(Xinhua News Agency, 2/26). The government also will seek to improve
the management of blood-collection agencies,
according to the South China Morning Post. During the committee's
first meeting on Thursday, Wu said that HIV/AIDS is spreading at an "alarming
rate" in China and the disease's spread could "seriously hamper" the country's
economic growth and social development, according to the Post. Official
government figures show that there are 840,000
HIV-positive individuals in mainland China, but the actual HIV prevalence
is likely "far higher," according to the Post (South China Morning
Post, 2/27).
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