The number of people estimated to be suffering from HIV in China
has risen in the last months especially among intravenous drug users and sex
workers, a report compiled by Beijing, the United Nations and the World Health
Organization revealed on Thursday.
In 2005, the government estimated that the number of
HIV/AIDS sufferers in China
had been about 650,000, decreasing from nearly 1 million to 840,000 in 2004.
The 50,000 new estimated cases in 2007 were registered mainly among intravenous
drugs and sex workers, based on a joint assessment by UNAIDS and a committee of
the State Council, China's Cabinet.
Chinese health officials worry that the epidemics is
spreading from high-risk groups such as sex workers and drug-users to the
general population.
The percent of new cases of HIV/AIDS has increased in recent
months. About 3,090 cases of HIV had been declared in the first six months of
the year, while the average over longer January-October period rose sharply to
3,223, the state media reported.
These data come after global health officials’ announcement
that number of people infected with HIV worldwide fell from almost 40 million
last year to about 33.2 million this year.
Organization dealing with treating this disease said that more
HIV-sufferers were developing full-blown AIDS due to body’s resistance to
anti-retroviral drugs and their reluctance to speak out.
"People who feel
stigmatized will not come forward or dare to seek medical treatment, and
guidance, and by doing so put further fuel on the fire for the spread of
HIV," UNAIDS China Country Director Bernhard Schwartlander said, according
to Reuters.
Chinese health officials said that they still needed to
protect people suffering from HIV because healthy people tend to isolate them.
Only two hospitals in Beijing
are specialized in providing treatment for HIV sufferers because they face
highly discrimination, said Gao Fei, a Beijing-based HIV/AIDS sufferer with the
“Positive Talks” project.
"If other hospitals see on your hospital record that
you've been infected, they won't treat you ... even if you just need treatment
for the flu or a cold," he said.
Minister of Health Zhu Chen told on Thursday that the amount
spent in 2007 has risen to $126 million from $114 million in 2006.
The 38-page report is set to be officially released Saturday, to coincide with
World AIDS Day.
