HIV Prevention Program for Injection Drug Users, Commercial Sex Workers Launched in Chinese Province

A five-year program in China's Hunan province aimed at curbing the spread of HIV among injection drug users and commercial sex workers and funded by the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria was launched on Thursday, according to the provincial health department, Xinhua/CRI Online reports. The Global Fund will provide $2 million for the first two years of the program, Fan Yuancheng, director of the new program, said. The initiative plans to promote condom use, provide methadone treatment for drug users and provide an HIV/AIDS consultant, as well as establish centers for needle exchanges, health care for women and HIV testing, Fan said. The program is part of a larger Global Fund grant for the establishment of prevention programs in seven Chinese provinces, Hu Hong, a government program manager, said. Between 30,000 and 50,000 HIV-positive people are estimated to be living in the province, according to Chen Xiaochun, vice director of the Hunan provincial health department (Xinhua/CRI Online, 8/4).

Back to other news for August 8, 2005