AEGiS-BBC: China admits HIV may affect 200,000 Chinese

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1997. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

China admits HIV may affect 200,000 Chinese

BBC News - Thursday, November 13, 1997

China has given a new - much higher - estimate of the number of its people infected with the HIV virus, which can lead to Aids. The Ministry of Health has told the BBC that as many as 200,000 Chinese could be infected - twice as many as previously thought.

The number of registered cases has reached more than 7,000.

Officials said the increase could largely be explained by epidemics among intravenous drug users in China's western provinces.

The government has announced an HIV awareness campaign to coincide with World Aids Day next month.

Foreign specialists working in Beijing say it is another sign that China is beginning to lift the taboos on the discussion of Aids, which the government used to see as a foreign problem.

Last December, China said 5,157 people were infected with the HIV virus. By June this year, the number was 7,253, the China Daily newspaper said.

Sexually transmitted diseases are also spreading, with 398,000 cases reported last year, an increase of 12% from the previous year, it said.

971113
BB971107

AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1997. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 1997. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .