Chinese Officials Say Country May Have More Than 600,000 HIV-Positive Individuals
China had 22,517 reported cases of HIV infection at the end of last year, but Health Ministry officials said that the actual number could be more than 600,000, Reuters reports. A state television report yesterday noted that U.N. officials estimate that China may have 10 million or more HIV cases by 2010, "unless [the country] acts decisively and soon." Of the known HIV cases, officials stated that 880 had developed AIDS and 466 had died. In addition, 70.9% of the cases were drug users, two-thirds lived in rural areas and approximately 90% were between 20 and 50 years old (Reuters, 2/26).
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