China and the World Health Organization (WHO) will work together to conduct AIDS intervention on homosexual groups in the central province of Hunan within the year, a WHO expert has revealed in the provincial capital of Changsha.

Professor Zhao Pengfei from the WHO Representative Office in China said on Friday that the joint program would involve a total spending of US$4 million and is expected to cover homosexual groups in eight localities in Hunan by 2007.

Before the end of 2005, trial operations will be first launched in Changsha and Hengyang cities, to provide local male homosexuals with special gathering venues where condoms and AIDS/HIV consultations are available.

In addition, the program also aims to mobilize volunteers to conduct "partnership education" among the homosexual groups, a self-education measure proven successful in previous AIDS/HIV intervention endeavors worldwide.

"WHO will provide technical support for all the activities," said Zhao.

The program will also cover six other cities in Hunan by monitoring local AIDS/HIV infections among the homosexuals and providing medical treatment and psychological consultation for the infected.

AIDS/HIV monitoring and intervention were first introduced in Hunan about two years ago, but failed to gain wide recognition from the target group, said Ou Qiuying, an AIDS expert with Hunan Provincial Disease Control Center.

Currently, China has some 840,000 HIV carriers including 80,000AIDS patients. The epidemic has spread throughout the country and is transferring to common people from high-risk groups such as sex workers, drug users and homosexuals.

(Xinhua News Agency June 20, 2005)