Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Reuters NewMedia - December 23, 2003
The official China Daily highlighted a meeting between Vice-Premier Wu Yi with HIV/AIDS patients in Henan province, where blood-selling schemes led to mass infections in some villages, in which she vowed to punish anyone trying to conceal the disease.
Wu's three-day trip to the populous central province underscored a new-found commitment to tackle the disease, highlighted at the beginning of the month when Premier Wen Jiabao shook hands with AIDS patients in Beijing.
China warned health workers Tuesday they would be punished if they failed to report new SARS cases, seeking to head off a repeat of a coverup early this year that led to widespread international criticism.
Wu said China's AIDS prevention and control situation was "grim" and vowed to punish those found responsible for covering up AIDS cases.
The government says there are 840,000 people with HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS, in the world's most populous country, and about 80,000 full-blown cases.
The United Nations has warned that the figure for infections could reach 10 million by 2010 if China fails to take the disease seriously. World leaders have criticized China's leadership as slow to tackle the epidemic.
In the mid-1990s, HIV infections in some Henan villages soared after peasants sold plasma to blood banks and had the remaining blood -- which had been pooled with that of others -- injected back into their veins.
Activists and experts continue to point out local coverups and newspaper stories that play down victims' suffering.
Wu said the government at all levels should crack down hard on illegal blood selling and regulate the blood donation system.
031223
RE031227
Copyright © 2003 - Reuters, Ltd. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Contact Reuters.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2003. 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, 2003. 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. .