Wang Longde: By year’s end will have “more accurate number” for people with AIDS
[Xinhua 31 August 2005]
http://society.people.com.cn/GB/1062/3665583.html

For a long time, as a result of traditional ideas, Chinese homosexuals have been the subject of social neglect. On 31 August, Vice-minister of health Wang Longde stated that male homosexuals are a population group in society, and this population must be stressed in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Wang Longde stated that this is an objective fact, there are male homosexuals. The Chinese government cannot deny this, and cannot overlook or ignore them.

He said that China’s male homosexual issue is a relatively serious problem, because most male homosexuals not only have sex with men, but also with women, which makes it much easier for them to spread HIV/AIDS.

Statistics from UNAIDS show that in 2004 there were 39.4 million people with HIV/AIDS globally. In the past two years, East Asia and the Pacific region have had a 50% increase in the number of people with HIV/AIDS.

According to statistics, China currently has 840,000 people with HIV, and 80,000 with AIDS. Though the infection rate in the adult population is less than 0.1%, the epidemic has spread to all 31 provinces, cities, and autonomous regions. HIV/AIDS is gradually spreading via injecting drug users, sex workers, male homosexuals and other high-risk populations into the general population, and prevention and control is extremely important.

Wang Longde said that the current number of people with HIV/AIDS is very hard to accurately estimate, and that all countries’ infection data are only estimates. China is currently undertaking HIV screening in many regions, and will report a “more accurate number” on the latest epidemic information before World AIDS day on December 1st this year.

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