In order to effectively halt the spread of AIDS and after seven years of hard work, Zhejiang is preparing to construct a reliable “line of prevention” in the province with a surveillance network that will over counties, cities and the province.

The three-tier surveillance system will include provincial level diagnostic laboratories, municipal screening laboratories and various county level disease control departments and hospital initial screening laboratories. In all a total of 162 screening laboratories will be included. This three tier system will create a strict and complete network (to follow the AIDS epidemic) from initial screening to diagnosis. Not only will it cover the provincial and city levels but it will also extend testing services high-risk groups and clinically suspicious cases in county towns. It will build a reliable line of defense in controlling AIDS.

It is understood that Zhejiang Province was one of the first in the country to launch laboratories for the diagnosis of AIDS. As early as 1988, it was one of eight major national surveillance spots, monitoring epidemic diseases among groups at high-risk to AIDS. In 1995, the Ministry of Health gave permission to the Provincial CDC to set up an AIDS antibody testing and diagnostic laboratory. To date this is the only provincial unit providing the final diagnosis for AIDS and has taken on the work of managing the AIDS testing laboratories of various health units.