December 1 will mark the 17th World AIDS Day. Dai Zhicheng, chairman of Chinese Association of STD & ADIS Prevention and Control, said during a large public welfare activity - Solicitude for Women, Combat against AIDS that registered and confirmed HIV-infected persons in China account for only 10 percent with 90 percent HIV-infected persons are still hiding under "iceberg", which constitutes a potential crisis.

According to official statistics China's HIV-infected people are estimated at about 840,000, which are ranked 14th worldwide and 2nd in Asia. Dai Zhicheng pointed out that the most worrying is that only 60,000-odd HIV-infected persons had been registered and confirmed by the end of last year and only 90,000-odd by September. Actual reported number is only 10 percent of official estimate. It indicates that 90 percent are still hiding under "iceberg" and have not come out. This would be a huge potential crisis.

As learned due to the existence of latent period the infected can carry the HIV for seven to ten years without showing any evident symptoms. Cases where they unknowingly infect others are frequent including the transmission of HIV to their own children. In the last 20 years accumulated data in ten countries have shown that high-risk behaviors by a person who has known his or her HIV infection will be reduced by 70 percent.

The latest survey results released by the Chinese Ministry of Health show that Chinese citizens' AIDS prevention awareness and ability is seriously inadequate. For example, only 37 percent people realize that timely cure of other venereal diseases is helpful for the prevention of AIDS.

The Ministry of Health concludes in its survey report that AIDS patients are not our enemy. Only the AIDS is out common enemy. Ignorance, fear and discrimination are the biggest obstacles in AIDS prevention and control. The popularization of AIDS knowledge and elimination of fear and discrimination mentality are one of the keys of AIDS prevention and control.

By People's Daily Online