China reports a total of 144,089 AIDS virus carriers at the end of last year, including 32,886 AIDS sufferers and 8,404 deaths.

More than 20,000 of them have received anti-HIV-virus treatment with the gradual expansion of traditional Chinese medicinal treatment, according to an official with the Ministry of Health. The death rate in highly AIDS-infected areas in the country such as Henan has reduced to 7.68 per cent in 2005 from 15.42 per cent in 2001.

The provinces including Hubei, Hunan and Yunnan have promoted 100 per cent use of anti-AIDS condoms in a greater scope so far. Methadone Maintenance Treatment trials have been expanded to 21 provinces. By the end of November 2005, the number of drug addicts who have received maintenance treatment reached 7,115.

The central government increased its funds for AIDS prevention to 801 million yuan last year from 390 million yuan in 2003. According to incomplete statistics, the preventive funds allocated by the financial authorities at provincial level were increased from 98 million yuan in 2003 to 280 million in 2005.

The total number of HIV/AIDS carriers in the country was 650,000 and out of that total, 75,000 were AIDS patients, according to the latest statistics released by China's Health Ministry, the World Health Organization and the United Nations AIDS agency at the beginning of this year. The numbers released mean that the prevention situation in the country is becoming very grim.

By People's Daily Online