China announces plan to curb rapid spread of AIDS by Jim Yardley The New York Times 3:12pm 10th May, 2004   BEIJING, May 9th, 2004.    The Chinese government warned today that AIDS continues to spread rapidly in the world's most populous country and announced new "urgent measures" to upgrade prevention and education efforts that include holding local officials directly responsible for curbing the fatal disease.    "Those officials breaching duty or hiding epidemic reports will be severely punished," stated a 12-page circular from the State Council, China's cabinet. The official New China News Agency released the circular today.    Meanwhile, Vice Prime Minister Wu Yi, the government's point person in fighting AIDS, cautioned that China was at a crucial stage because the disease may soon jump from such high-risk groups as prostitutes and intravenous drug users into the general population.    Ms. Wu called for a crackdown on rampant prostitution and the sort of illegal blood selling that led to the outbreak of AIDS in rural central China. She also said condom use and clean needle exchanges for drug users should be encouraged. Her comments, publicized in state media today, came in a speech last month.    If China fails to improve its response to the disease, Ms. Wu cautioned: "The consequences will be very grievous." Experts have predicted that China could have as many as 10 million AIDS patients by 2010 if the government fails to adequately fight the disease.    As yet, government statistics estimate that China has 840,000 people who are carriers of H.I.V. An additional 80,000 have tested positive for AIDS. More than 100,000 people are already believed to have died of the disease. The new announcement noted that AIDS is in every province and region of China.    The announcement is the latest effort by the Chinese government to confront a disease whose spread officials once actively sought to conceal. In the past year, China has introduced a limited program providing some free drugs to AIDS patients and launched a public relations campaign to reduce stigma and encourage more people to be tested.    A central focus of the State Council circular was improving education, particularly in rural areas, state media reported. AIDS education will be included in the curriculum of the country's middle schools, vocational schools and colleges. AIDS prevention posters should be displayed at public "entertainment venues." Already, posters and billboards with prevention messages are on display in large cities, like Beijing.    Medical workers, the circular stated, will also be charged with discussing AIDS prevention with patients and encouraging condom use as a means of protecting against the disease. Pregnant women will be given free treatment to protect against transmission of H.I.V. from mother to child.    The pointed instruction that local officials would now be held accountable for fighting the disease comes after officials in places like Henan Province once arrested journalists and others who sought to expose the spread of the disease. The circular ordered local governments in areas hit hard by the disease to establish AIDS prevention and treatment working committees.
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