China's Ministry of Health (MOH) required local health departments to look into AIDS spread among drug users to help combat the killer disease.

In a notice issued Friday, the MOH ordered local health departments to gradually make AIDS testing among drug users a routine work in order to understand how the deadly disease spreads among the highly vulnerable group.

The notice urged all community clinics to take part in a campaign on building a "drug-free neighborhood" and regions where AIDS prevention and control pilot program is implemented to continue to take preventive measures such as free needle exchange and methadone maintenance therapy.

Local health authorities are also called for offering services to help drug users to stop drug addiction and offer free AIDS testing and consultation.

The notice said medical institutions should strengthen management of narcotics to prevent the medicines from flowing to illegal channels and their own medical work.

(Xinhua News Agency June 4, 2005)