China To Increase HIV Prevention Funding to $185M Annually in 2006, 2007

China will spend about $185 million annually in 2006 and 2007 on HIV prevention, nearly double the approximately $98.7 million allocated for 2005, the China Daily reports. According to a report published by the China Youth and Children Research Center and the Department of International Communications of the China Communist Youth League's Central Committee, the government spent about $12.3 million on HIV prevention in 2001 and about $74 million in both 2003 and 2004. The government has created short- and long-term plans for HIV prevention and has increased efforts to raise public awareness of drug use, blood sales, sexually transmitted diseases and narcotics control (China Daily, 12/28/05). The government also has created 127 "demonstration zones" across the country with the aim of providing comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention information, Xinhuanet reports (Xinhuanet, 12/27/05). The Chinese government has reported about 840,000 HIV cases in the country based on data collected in 2003. According to Hao Yang, deputy director of disease control for the Ministry of Health, the government's unreleased estimate of the number of HIV cases, which is based on 2004 screenings of groups at "high risk" of contracting the virus, is lower than the 2003 estimate (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 12/6/05).