URUMQI, June 3 – After more than three years of efforts, the Joint China-Australia AIDS prevention and care project has brought benefits to many people. In order to expand the results of the project, the two sides recently decided to start the second phase of the project and expand the coverage area to Urumqi and Yining.

The China-Australia AIDS prevention and care project began in March 2002 and will last for 5 years. During the project, the Australian side will inject around 30 million RMB ($2.75 million US), as well as supplying expert training and hardware support. The Chinese side will mainly supply manpower, as well as matching funds. The main components of this project are: raising the technical capacity of AIDS prevention and control, and material support; providing treatment and care to people with HIV/AIDS; and raising the awareness of AIDS among leadership.

According to the China-Australia AIDS prevention and care project office, in 2002 the project worked in areas of Yining, Urumqi, and Kashgar and has produced clear results. In order to help more Xinjiang people to keep their distance from AIDS, the two sides recently decided to expand the scope of the project to 14 and 3 sites in Urumqi and Yining respectively.

After the second phase of the China-Australia AIDS prevention and care project begins, there will be two years of social advocacy and health education, the atmosphere of social stigma and discrimination will be changed, and public security departments will be involved in harm-reduction strategies for drug users to reduce the prevalence of HIV/AIDS.

Up till 2004, there were 9730 cumulative reported cases of HIV infection in Xinjiang, the fourth highest in the nation. Most infections were concentrated in Urumqi and Yining cities, with the great majority of those among injecting drug users.

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