UNAIDS chief Peter Piot presented the "Special contributor" awards to Chinese Health Minister Gao Qiang and Shen Jie, deputy director of the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Tuesday to commend their great achievements in HIV/AIDS prevention and control.

Peter Piot, executive director of UNAIDS, said that the Chinese government had demonstrated strong leadership and promulgated specific policies on HIV/AIDS prevention and control. Gao and Shen deserve the awards for their leadership and efforts in this regard.

International cooperation is vital for fighting against HIV/ AIDS. UNAIDS hopes to explore more fields of cooperation with China and expects China to be the first country in eliminating the disease, he said.

In reply, Chinese Health Minister Gao Qiang said that the Chinese government had attached great importance to HIV/AIDS prevention and control. With collaboration with UNAIDS and other international organizations, China will not only accelerate the pace of HIV/AIDS prevention and control in China, but also contribute more to the world.

During Piot's visit to southwest China's Yunnan Province from June 7 to 10, he presented similar awards to some units and individuals including Yunnan provincial Governor Xu Rongkai.

To date, the number of HIV carriers in China is estimated at 840,000, including 80,000 AIDS patients.

Source: Xinhua