A nationwide data bank on all known HIV carriers and AIDS
patients is expected to be established by the end of this year,
with each HIV/AIDS patient having an individual file, sources with
China's Center of Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) said
Saturday.??
"The move aims at making more accurate assessment of the AIDS
epidemic in the country and providing timely and effective medical
treatment to HIV carriers and AIDS patients," according to an
official with the Venereal and Aids Disease Prevention and Control
Center under the CDC.
AIDS testing centers around China have reported that some of the
testees just disappeared after being informed that they were HIV
positive and, without detailed personal information, follow-up
monitoring and treatment would become extremely difficult.
The Ministry of Health has confirmed that incomplete statistics
on HIV carriers and AIDS victims have impeded efforts on further
study and treatment of this deadly contagious disease.
"The introduction of a comprehensive data bank will help
dramatically improve this situation," said the official with the
Venereal and Aids Disease Prevention and Control Center. "it will
also provide policy-making basis for analyzing AIDS spreading
trends, optimizing AIDS control resources and appraising treatment
results."
According to experts, the data bank will include more than 10
items concerning personal information, including ID card number,
blood type, etc. County level centers for disease prevention and
control will be held responsible for confirming information of each
known HIV carrier and AIDS patient, and conducting follow-up
monitoring.
Since the first detection of an HIV case in 1985, there are
approximately 840,000 HIV carriers now in China, including 80,000
AIDS patients.
(Xinhua News Agency June 6, 2004)