HIV carriers in China rose to nearly 1 million by the end of this June, up 16.7 percent over the same period of the previous year, announced the Ministry of Health.

Among them, 68 percent were infected through intravenous drug use, 9.7 percent from blood and plasma collections, 7.2 percent through sexual activity, 1.5 percent via blood products, 0.2 percent from mother to child, and the remaining 13.4 percent from causes unknown, the ministry said.

Experts warned that China's HIV carriers would exceed 10 million by 2010 without effective countermeasures. T

he state has simplified registration and approval procedures for the research and import of anti-AIDS medicines, exempted their import duties and accelerated their localization process. The state anti-AIDS budget was increased from 15 million yuan in 2001, to 100 million yuan.

(Beijing Review November 9, 2002)