Today is the 17th World AIDS Day.

The nation's serious HIV/AIDS situation deserves the highest government and public vigilance.

With HIV carriers increasing at an annual rate of 40 per cent, China now ranks 14th in the world and second in Asia in terms of the scale of its AIDS outbreak.

Latest statistics show that the country had 89,467 registered HIV carriers and 20,786 AIDS patients, with some 840,000 estimated HIV carriers and 160,000 estimated deaths from the disease.

Although the majority of China's HIV carriers were infected through blood transfusions, sexual activity has become the number one means of transmission in some regions. Experts have warned that the spread of HIV/AIDS is moving from high-risk groups to the mainstream population.

This presents the nation with an even greater challenge.

The authorities have shown much concern about the epidemic and vowed to take active measures to prevent the spread of the deadly disease.

The country has so far set up 194 national HIV/AIDS monitoring stations, more than 2,000 HIV screening labs and 49 confirmation labs.

The newly amended Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases, which takes effect today, urges officials at all levels to step up the battle against AIDS and take measures to prevent its spread.

But the situation is not that optimistic at the grass roots.

When Executive Vice-Minister of Health Gao Qiang went to Bazhou in Hebei Province to inspect HIV/AIDS prevention and control work on Monday, health officials there could not give a detailed briefing on the local situation. Illegal blood selling activities in the 1990s have resulted in many AIDS/HIV infection cases in this region, and even more hidden cases are believed to exist. But local authorities seemed more enthusiastic about luring investment other than improving public health -- they asked reporters not to mention the HIV/AIDS situation, saying: "Investors would be scared away if they knew there was HIV/AIDS here."

Previous media reports indicate a similar situation elsewhere. Local authorities' ignorance and negligence have become a huge barrier for the country to combat the disease.

The alarm has been sounded that China's HIV/AIDS sufferers may soar to 12 million by 2010 unless effective prevention measures are taken. However, this number could be trimmed down to 3 million if the prevention measures are in full swing.

But the target cannot be achieved if the work cannot be done effectively from the bottom.

As such, it is imperative to improve grass roots AIDS/HIV prevention and control work now.

(China Daily December 1, 2004)