The public health authority in south China's Guangdong Province
on Wednesday said HIV infections are falling, but the number of
patients with full-blown AIDS in the province is rising.
There were 3,759 reported cases of HIV in the first ten months
of the year, down 22.1 percent from a year ago. During the same
period of this year, 675 HIV carriers developed AIDS, a rise of
13.3 percent from a year ago, and 285 died of the syndrome which
currently has no cure, according to a statement from the provincial
bureau of public health.
It is the second year running Guangdong has had a drop in the
number of HIV carriers. 2006 was the first time the province
experienced a fall in numbers.
Officials attributed the drop to arduous efforts by the
Guangdong province to combat the spread of the killer disease
across the province, including popularization of methadone
treatment, free anti-viral treatment, and improved HIV/AIDS
awareness among the public.
By Oct. 31 this year, Guangdong had 21,966 reported cases of HIV
carriers, of whom, 2,352 had developed into AIDS patients and 962
had died.
Experts, however, estimate there are 49,000 HIV carriers across
Guangdong, an economic powerhouse. HIV/AIDS pandemic has been
spreading across in the province by means of intravenous drug
injections, sexual activity and mother-to-baby mode.
Guangdong has built 42 methadone clinics so far, of which, 35
have begun operation. Since January 2006, these operational
methadone clinics have treated 7,150 drug addicts.
(Xinhua News Agency November 28, 2007)