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State Council outlines measures to intensify fight against AIDS
[Xinhua, 9 May 2004]
BEIJING, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The State Council, or the Chinese cabinet,
Sunday announced a series of measures to intensify the country's
fight against
AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), as Vice Premier Wu
Yi described China's AIDS prevention and control efforts as "having reached a critical period".
The State Council Sunday published in full a circular to governments
at all levels across the country regarding AIDS prevention and control.
The 12-page
document, which has seven parts, says that AIDS prevention and control
work will be taken asone major criterion for judging local officials'
work performance.
The circular requires that AIDS prevention and control knowledge, as well
as the knowledge on safe blood donations, be included in curricula of all
middle
schools and higher education institutions.
Railway, civil aviation and other public transportation departments are
also required to publicize knowledge on AIDS prevention and control to
passengers
by various means.
Entertainment venues must post or distribute printed materials in public
to spread AIDS prevention knowledge to visitors, while medical workers
have the
duty to advise their patients on AIDS prevention and condom use, the circular
says.
All health departments, together with the Red Cross Societies, should encourage
healthy young citizens to engage in free blood donation, while public security
departments should intensify their efforts to crack down on any illegal
blood selling activities, the circular adds.
Pregnant women will receive free AIDS prevention medical services in a
bid to reduce the possibility of mother-to-baby HIV (human immunodeficiency
virus)
transmission, says the circular.
Research and production of new anti-AIDS medicines will be stepped up as
the government will inject more funds in AIDS prevention and treatment,
the circular
pledges.
Those capital-strained AIDS patients and HIV carriers, as well as their
families and relatives, will receive financial assistance from the government,
while
more efforts will be made to eliminate social discrimination against them,
says the circular.
It adds that China will enhance its cooperation with the international
community in AIDS prevention and control and draw experience from other
countries.
Enditem
05-09-2004 17:50
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