The Chinese Health Ministry will launch a nationwide system to collect AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) information through the Internet from county health authorities this month, moving away from the old method of collecting paper reports that went through a hierarchy of authorities.

In order to improve the accuracy and efficiency of AIDS reports, the ministry made the decision to collect AIDS report directly from grass-roots health authorities.

The ministry also issued detailed regulations to define the responsibilities of health officials in reporting AIDS information. They stipulated that local disease prevention authorities should visit carriers of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) twice a year and once a quarter for AIDS patients, and write a record of each visit.

The ministry asked that the disease prevention authorities above the county level report AIDS information directly via the Internet, and other qualifying health organizations also should report information via the Internet.

China has intensified efforts to control its increasing number of AIDS victims across the country. Chinese leaders have made public visits and shaken hands with AIDS patients to arouse more attention to the serious problem.

According to an assessment report on China's AIDS prevention and control released by the Ministry of Health early last year, HIV cases have been reported in all the Chinese mainland's 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.

There are 840,000 carriers of HIV on the mainland, of whom 80,000 suffer from AIDS, said the ministry.