China's first local law on AIDS prevention to take effect in Yunnan

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, March 01, 2004

China's first local law on AIDS prevention to take effect in Yunnan

China's first local law on the prevention of AIDS, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, will take effect in Yunnan Province in southwest China on Monday.

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China's first local law on the prevention of AIDS, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, will take effect in Yunnan Province in southwest China on Monday.

According to the law, the province will provide disposable injection needles for drug users and condoms will be available either for free or at a lower price in all its hotels and entertainment venues, like night clubs, as part of its effort to control the spread of AIDS.

In addition, AIDS prevention has been written into the duties of all levels of government in the province in the law, which alsorequires the government to set up a special organization on AIDS control, consisting of officials from the departments like public security, health, education and supervision.

By December 2003, statistics showed the province with a population of over 42 million reported 14,905 HIV positive cases and 907 AIDS patients, the largest number in the country, and 558 of them had died, said Lu Lin, director of the province's disease prevention and control center.

To make matters worse, HIV infection is spreading from separateborder areas connecting southeast Asian nations to 16 cities and prefectures across the province, said Lu.

"The AIDS situation in Yunnan is so severe that we should take every minute to fight against the epidemic," he said.

Yunnan has realized the dangers posed by AIDS and planned to inject 520 million yuan (62.65 million US dollars) to launch six anti-AIDS projects beginning in March of this year.

"Besides providing condoms and clean needles, other projects concern cracking down on prostitution and drug abuse, improving the public awareness on AIDS prevention, establishing monitoring and curing systems of the epidemic and supporting scientific studies on AIDS," said Lu.

China reportedly had 840,000 HIV carriers by the end of 2003.

Sharing injection needles between drug users and sex were blamed as the major means of HIV transmission in the country.

"Only when the AIDS-vulnerable population, mainly prostitutes and drug users, adopt preventive measures, can the epidemic be constrained from spreading more," said Lu.

Drug users will not be taken away for forced treatment when getting disposable needles at registered places and the used needles will be collected and destroyed by the government, said Zhang Chang'an, director of the provincial AIDS-control office.

In addition, the provincial government will cover the expense for the supply of condoms to HIV carriers and hotel owners will beencouraged to share the financial burden of providing condoms to their guests, said Zhang.

The province will invest 140 million yuan (about 16.9 million US dollars) in 2004 to establish a provincial AIDS care center, Zhang said. It also vows to set up a network on AIDS prevention and treatment which is expected to cover all its counties.

"With all the effort, the quick spread of the AIDS in the province is expected to be curbed in five to 10 years," he said.

Source: Xinhua

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