Wu Yi’s Speech at the National Conference of HIV/AIDS Prevention and control (April 4, 2004)

Seizing the Opportunity to Search Further, Accelerating the Work of HIV/AIDS Prevention and control in an All-around Way

Wu Yi

HIV/AIDS is a serious social and public health problem all over the world. The spread of HIV/AIDS has greatly influenced the physical health and life of the Chinese people, as well as the development of economy and society. The Party and government attach great importance to this problem. Secretary-general Hu Jintao points out that the work of HIV/AIDS prevention and control is a major issue pertinent to the overall quality of the Chinese people and the country’s prosperity. Party and government leaders at all levels need to deepen their understanding of the problem and mobilize the whole society to deal with it. Starting with education and focusing on prevention, we must contain the proliferation of HIV/AIDS. Premier Wen Jiabao points out that the State Council has attached great importance to the work of HIV/AIDS prevention and control and has already had researches and arrangements. The system of job responsibility must be carried out. We must strengthen such basic works as programming of HIV/AIDS prevention and control, surveillance and check-ups, construction of the team, technical measures, and legal management, etc. At the same time, successful experience should be summarized in time in order to do this urgent work well, which is related to the fundamental interest of the Nation. Since 1990s the State Council has laid down China’s Medium-and Long-term Plan for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control (1998-2010) and China's Action Plan for Containment and Control of HIV/AIDS (2001-2005), set up the State Council Coordinating Committee for HIV/AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, made a series of important decisions, and taken related measures to check the transmission of HIV/AIDS. All the regions and all the departments related have carefully carried out the decisions and arrangements from the Central Committee of the Party and the State Council, set up a leading and coordinating mechanism, made plans for HIV/AIDS prevention and control, unfolded publicity and education, carried out intervening measures, conduct treatment and cares, and strengthened international cooperation. We have attained active achievements in the work of HIV/AIDS prevention and control. However, the epidemic situation of HIV/AIDS is still very serious at present, the spread and trend of which is showing new characteristics, and the work of HIV/AIDS prevention and control is now at a critical moment. Comprehensively and thoroughly, we must carry out the important decisions and arrangements about HIV/AIDS prevention and control, which are passed down from the central committee of the Party and the State Council. We must carefully analyze the situation, research prevention and control measures, search for the efficient mechanism, and seize any opportunity to push forward the work of HIV/AIDS prevention and control in a all-round way. In all, we must be firm in checking the fast spreading trend of HIV/AIDS in China.

1. The work of HIV/AIDS prevention and control is in a crucial time.
Since the year 1981 when the first HIV/AIDS case was found and reported, an accumulated 69, 000, 000 HIV cases have been found all over the world during a little more than 20 years, of which 27, 000, 000 have died. For many years, people infected with HIV were mainly found in Sub-Saharan Africa. Recently, Asia has been the area with the fastest HIV/AIDS spreading. The experience of some countries has proved that if we seize the favorable opportunities and adopt effective measure, it is absolutely possible to prevent HIV/AIDS from spreading in large scale. Based on the information of all the aspects related, the work of HIV/AIDS prevention and control of our country is, at the moment, in a crucial time.

Firstly, the epidemic condition of HIV/AIDS is relatively serious. The accumulated number of HIV infections and of AIDS patients has reached 840, 000 and 80, 000 respectively in China. people infected live in 31 provinces, municipalities and cities directly under the Central Government, mainly young people and from rural areas. In some areas there is a possible fastigium of AIDS patients and AIDS related death. According to the rules of HIV/AIDS epidemic, the epidemic situation of HIV/AIDS in China has already been at a critical point from limitation within high-risk populations to large-scale transmission among general population. Although the overall HIV infection among adult is less than 0.1% and the prevalence of HIV/AIDS is still at a low level, the number of HIV-positive people ranks second in Asia and 14th in the world because of the huge population. Especially in the recent years, reported HIV/AIDS cases have been increasing constantly. Besides, the risk factors of HIV spreading still widely exist.

Secondly, the impact of HIV/AIDS on economy and society has already emerged. So far, AIDS cannot be completely cured. It is closely related to many social problems, such as the management of blood and blood products, prostitution, drug injection, and so on. It is quite difficult to prevent and control HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS greatly threatens not only physical health and life safety of the Chinese people but economic development and social stability. Due to the spreading of HIV/AIDS, the medical expenses of people infected and their families have increased greatly. Some HIV-positive people have partially or wholly lost the ability to work. Some have lost their jobs or the opportunity to go to school because of social discrimination. Their agricultural products are hard to sell, and so the income reduces greatly. Many families are penniless or even broken up. The economic development of some areas is greatly impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The pressure of medical treatment keeps growing, which consumes huge medical resources and becomes a heavy economic burden. Besides, the epidemic causes a series of social problems, such as treatment and care for the patients, care for orphans and the older, reduction of harm, maintenance of public health and so on. In December 2003, I visited Shangcai County of Henan Province and saw the houses local peasants sold blood to build are nearly empty and inhabited only by the young and the old because many of them died of HIV/AIDS, which causes huge influence to the economic development and social stability of the local area. I felt heart-struck. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has impaired our economy and society seriously.

Thirdly, we have got a primary understanding of the epidemic situation, and publicized it home and abroad. HIV/AIDS prevention and control have got both an inner drive and a outer pull. Coordinated with such international organizations as UNAIDS and WTO, based on actual investigations and internationally prevailing modi operandi, we have done analyses and estimates about HIV/AIDS epidemic in China, and publicized the results home and abroad for the first time. Moreover, at the HIV/AIDS High-level Meeting of the UN General Assembly, Chinese government has made five commitments to HIV/AIDS prevention and control. We can say that at the moment, HIV/AIDS prevention and control is demanded and expected by the Chinese people, and is also a great concern for the international society. In such a phase with both inner drive and outer pull, we are required to face the epidemic of HIV/AIDS. Being highly responsible for the physical health and life safety of the public and with a more open and practical attitude, we ought to strengthen international communication and cooperation and carried out HIV/AIDS prevention and control in a down-to-earth way.

Fourthly, with the change of the HIV/AIDS transmission patterns, we need further emancipate the mind and firmly take effective intervening measures. Currently, the HIV/AIDS transmission through blood donation and supplying is basically under control. Unhealthy sexual behaviours, drug injection and mother-to-child transmission become major transmission patterns. According to the change, some areas have carried out many measures and achieved certain effects, these measures including condom promotion, methadone maintenance treatment among drug-injection patients and experiments of clean needle exchange programmes. But these are only limited pilot experiments, and people have different understanding about them. There are still obstacles in understanding and work to put them into operation. But hesitation should be avoided. We must be practical and realistic, emancipating our mind and unifying understanding and pace. These effective interventions must be firmly put into practice to prevent the further spreading of HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Fifthly, there is an urgent need for a better atmosphere, in which the whole society pays more attention and regard to HIV/AIDS prevention and control. At the groundwork of Coordinating Committee system for HIV/AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, the State Council has established a nationwide committee of HIV/AIDS prevention and control, with the purpose of further intensifying leadership, promoting coordination and cooperation among the departments concerned, and strengthening coordination and association of HIV/AIDS prevention and control in local areas, especially those with serious epidemic. Local governments at all levels have come to realize the harm of AIDS epidemic and the importance and urgency of its prevention and control. After many years’ practice, some areas, especially those of serious epidemic conditions, have gathered some experience in HIV/AIDS prevention and control. However, the mechanism of HIV/AIDS prevention and control is still not perfect. Some people are fear of HIV/AIDS, and discrimination upon people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) still exists. Therefore, we must actively search for an effective mechanism and further develop a better environment, which is favorable to HIV/AIDS prevention and control.

To sum up, in my opinion, present China is in a crucial time for HIV/AIDS prevention and control. If we seize this crucial chance, take effective measures and intensify the work of  prevention and control, absolutely we can check the transmission and epidemic of HIV/AIDS; if we do not do our best or let HIV transmit freely, we might lose this fleeting opportunity and the consequence might be very grave. How to seize the opportunity and carry out prevention and control earnestly, this is a significant issue concerning economic development, social stability, and the country’s prosperity, and also a huge challenge for governments at all levels. However, the present work of HIV/AIDS prevention and control is far from enough. Many problems exist, such as low estimation about the ponderance of large-scale transmission, low cognition about the harm of HIV and the chronicity and laboriousness of HIV/AIDS prevention and control, and lack of research on effective mechanisms of prevention and control, etc. In the light of high responsibility for the people, for the nation and for history, with more open and practical attitude and active searching spirit, we must take for reference the successful experience of fighting SARS, and carry out HIV/AIDS prevention and control in a practical, active and urgent way.

2. Push forward prevention and intervention comprehensively and thoroughly.
The key for HIV/AIDS control is prevention. We should launch activities of publicity and education in a wide and thorough way and take feasible and effective measures of prevention and intervention according to the main channels of AIDS epidemic.

⑴ To Launch activities of publicity and education in a wide and thorough way.

Publicity and education are the first step to prevent and control HIV/AIDS. We have done a lot of work during the past many years. However, the coverage of publicity is not wide enough, nor is the content pertinent enough, and the form is comparatively monotone. In my opinion, publicity and education should mainly in villages and small towns, communities, schools and other public places where high-risk groups concentrated. We should help people eliminate fears and strengthen their consciousness of self-protection. We should mobilize the whole society to reduce discrimination and care for AIDS patients. First, we should publicize transmission patterns, epidemic characteristics, and prevention knowledge about HIV/AIDS, so that the general public know which behaviours cause HIV/AIDS transmission and which not. We should educate the public to take part in HIV/AIDS prevention and control actively, and to love and care people infected and AIDS patients. Second, we should carry out publicity and education about self-respect among PLWHA. We should help them find confidence to defeat the disease, and encourage them to overcome difficulties, to be voluntary to cooperate in prevention and control, and to do more things that are in favour of others and society. Third, we should publicize the policies and measures of the Party and government for HIV/AIDS prevention and control so that the people and the international society know our attitude and the work we have done, striving for wide understanding and supports. Four, we should encourage social organizations and corporations to carry out public service announcements about HIV/ADIS prevention and control of their own initiative to let more people know about it. Departments and organizations, including news and publicity, health, education, public security, agriculture, railway, transportation, civil aviation, labour union, Communist Youth League, the Women's Federation and so on, should be responsible for and make full use of their own advantages and characteristics, and carry out systemic, pertinent and frequent publicity and education in various modes. Moreover, we should mobilize the enthusiasm of the basic-level personnel for HIV/AIDS prevention and control, public figures, volunteers, people infected and AIDS patients, and fully bring into play their particular functions in publicity and education.

⑵To control blood-borne HIV transmission strictly.
Blood-borne HIV transmission is the most harmful pattern of HIV/AIDS transmission. We have intensified construction and management of blood stations, regulated blood donation and supplying and stoutly cracked down illegal activities of blood donation and supplying. Therefore the problem of HIV transmission through blood donation and supplying is basically under control. But in recent years, a few areas have witnessed HIV transmission through blood donation and supplying. In some areas, “blood heads” and “blood villains” even organize illegal blood selling. In order to put an end to transmission through blood donation and supplying, we must further intensify construction and management of blood banks, and continue making use of the national debt to construct blood banks. In principle we build no blood stations at the county level and below, and no plasma collecting station in serious epidemic counties. We should consummate the mechanism of blood products management, and nail down management responsibility. We should also carry out supervision measures, and clean up and rectify blood donation and supplying organizations carefully. Each such organization should be carefully checked, and allowed to operate only when it is in accord with the standards. Besides, frequent supervision and back-check are needed. “Blood heads” and “blood villains” must get severe punishment, and must be completely eradicated. This year, the National Leading Group Office of Rectifying and Normalizing Market Economy Order will organize a special battle against illegal activities of blood donation and supplying, which is to construct a powerful social environment. The office will adopt an overall method of checking, clean up activities of illegal blood donation and supplying stoutly and completely, and punish criminals in accordance with the law.
In addition, we must pay great attention to the problem of iatrogenic infection. We should popularize by force the use of one-off injectors and transfusion system in medical institutions. One-off medical and sanitation supplies must get proper the destroy, while the reusable ones get proper disinfection. Blood for medical treatment must get strict checked, in order to put an end to transmission during medical treatment. As to units that have disobeyed the regulations, the principals, people directly related and others concerned will be held responsible. We should further encourage volunteering blood donation in the whole society, by wider publicity, mobilizing all those healthy people of the right age to participate, and thus promote volunteering blood donation rate.
   
⑶ To popularize intervening measures stoutly.
Prostitution and drug injection are currently the main patterns of HIV/AIDS transmission. It is an important way of HIV/AIDS control and prevention to actively intervene in such high-risk behaviors as prostitution and drug injection. According to concerned laws and regulations, prostitution and drug taking are illegal behaviors. Chinese government has always been firm to crack down them, so has law-enforcement organizations, which plays an important role in the control of HIV/AIDS. However, these phenomena are hard to root up immediately as well as in a considerably long time. So we must combine prevention and crack-down together to deal with these persistent ailments of society. On one hand, we must stoutly crack down prostitution and drug dealing and taking, to contain and eventually root up these filthy phenomena of society. On the other hand, we must take necessary measures to prevent those addicted in these abuses from spreading HIV/AIDS or getting infected and to reduce their harm to society. The Ministry of Health and WTO have carried out pilot programs to popularize the use of condoms. Through more than one year practice, it is found out that this measure has greatly reduced the incidence of STD, and played an active role in HIV/AIDS control and prevention. Therefore it is worthy of summarization and popularization. Actively popularizing the use of condoms, we should dispense condoms for free or install condom-selling equipments in public places where high-risk population are concentrated to cut off AIDS transmission by sexual activities. In recent years, Guangxi, Yunnan and other provinces (municipalities), where the problem of drug injection is relatively grave, have carried out pilot programs of clean needle exchange in cooperation with some international organizations, and achieved obvious success. The Ministry of Health, Public Security and Food and Drug Administration are piloting methadone maintenance treatment among drug-injection patients in Zhejiang, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi. We should keep on summing up experience and popularizing step by step. Through the two programs mentioned above, we must strive to cut off blood-borne transmission through drug injection. Each district and department concerned must apply these intervention measures in a practical and rational way; must fully understand necessary intervention measures and crack-down of illegal behaviors share the same fundamental aim; must stoutly and actively take all kinds of effective intervening measures, with the standard of whether it promotes HIV/AIDS prevention and control, and whether it helps maintain physical health and life safety of the people.

⑷To carry out surveillance and report of the epidemic situation of HIV/AIDS.
It is the key for HIV/AIDS control and prevention to grasp the epidemic situation and tendency in a timely, accurate and full-scale way. We must intensify the construction of AIDS surveillance network by setting up surveillance sentinel sites in medical and sanitation institutions, disease control and prevention institutions and public places with a concentration of high-risk groups. Regulations must be established and responsibilities be specified to screen out PLWHA in a wide scale. Sentinel sites should be equipped with necessary personnel and detecting facility, and provided with necessary fund and conditions, insuring the PLWHA be tested in time. We must strictly hold to the norms of reporting infectious diseases, and intensify the construction of information network of surveillance and reports. Epidemic information must be reported faithfully, timely and in accordance with the norms, and be publicized to the whole society according to related regulations, so that all the procedures be under social surveillance. We must intensify surveillance on epidemic reports, and severely punish whoever misreports, under-reports or reports belatedly. We must unremittingly carry out frequent epidemic surveillance, which is the groundwork for researching and establishing local plans and measures of prevention and control, and for effectively carry out the work of HIV/AIDS prevention and control.

3. To carry out care and treatment feasibly and effectively.
Care and treatment for PLWHA, can not only prolong their lives, promote their living quality, and reduce HIV transmission, but also help solve HIV/AIDS-related social problems and maintain regular social and economic order.
For many years, the Ministry of Health and other departments have carried out thorough investigations and researches, and made and taken a series of policies and measures of treatment and care for PLWHA and their families. China began to produce independently the anti-retroviral drugs in 2002, and to provide it freely for patients of Henan, Anhui, Hubei and other high-risk areas. In 2003, Chinese government brought forward the policy of “four free and one care”, that is: free voluntary blood test for HIV, free anti-retroviral treatment for both rural and urban people in economic difficulties, free education for HIV/AIDS orphans, free counseling, test and anti-retroviral treatment for the pregnant, government assistance for AIDS patients and their families in economic difficulties. In March 2004, State Council sent out A Notice of State Council on Strengthening the Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS, bringing forward a series of prevention and control measures. All the provinces have seriously carried out policies and deployments from the Central Committee of the Party and the State. Under supports and cooperation of the Ministry of Finance, they have carried out a series of measures of assistance and care and achieved great success, these measures including: actively developing anti-retroviral treatments for the AIDS patients, sending medical teams and alms to the rural areas, and reducing or remitting all kinds of fees for poverty-stricken AIDS families. In Shangcai County of Henan Province, I saw many patients have recovered through medical treatment and reestablished the confidence of living. Some even take part in productive labours they can afford. The local social order has also returned to normal condition. This instance fully shows how important it is to carry out assistance and care for PLWHA and their families. We should realize that the policy of “four frees and one care” is the most powerful in HIV/AIDS prevention and control, both currently and for a certain time in future. In carrying out this policy, we need to emphasize the effects. During my surveys in Henan Province, I had informal discussions with some local patients, medical staff, experts and cadres respectively, and brought forward a dozen of questions for departments concerned about the application of the policy of “four frees and one care”. Lately in the first meeting of State Council Working Committee of HIV/AIDS Prevention and control, we have especially researched the work of its implementation. The Ministry of Finance, Health and Civil Affairs are about to publicize some specific regulations. However, in spite of explicit policies and implemental methods, there will be inevitably many concrete difficulties in the process of implementation, for instance, how to send anti-retroviral drugs effectively to the patient? How to ensure they take drug on schedule? How to carry out assistant treatment to reduce side effects of the drug? How to assist the infected, the AIDS patients and their families? How to confirm the objects and standards? How to adopt orphans and support alone elders? How to mobilize the basic-level personnel and how to solve the problem of their salaries? How to solve the problem of prenuptial test in highly epidemic areas? Only when we have got clear the concrete problems one by one and got answers can we carry out these policies and measures well.
We should combine implementation of the “four frees and one care” policy with construction of pilot sites for China care Program for overall care and treatment. Since 2003 the Ministry of Health have set up 127 pilot sites for comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention and control all over China, with the main content of community publicity, counseling, treatment and care. In my opinion, this is a very good kind of stage for the implementation of “four frees and one care.” policy. As for the construction of pilot sites, first, we should actively develop a series of comprehensive services to create a favorable social environment for HIV/AIDS prevention and control. These services include training, health education, behavior intervention, medical treatment and nursing, isolation between mother and child, counseling and care, etc. Second, we should keep summing up and accumulating experiences in publicity and education of HIV/AIDS prevention and control among bridal people, free HIV testing, protection of children from HIV/AIDS, etc. Third, we should continuously perfect the treatment and management mode consisting of designated hospitals, family treatment and community treatment, and the treatment and management pattern of intervention among high-risk groups. In all, we should search for a method to solve all the concrete problems in the implementation of the “four frees and one care” policy, providing lessons for HIV/AIDS prevention and control in other areas. The construction of pilot sites should be carried out in a down-to-earth way, making every construction one success. We must avoid seeking for only speed and quantity.
In the implementation of the “four frees and one care” policy, we should also pay attention to the intensification of HIV/AIDS prevention and control personnel construction. At present, the personnel system is not complete yet. There is a problem of lack of capable professionals. Medical care workers that have treatment experience and can afford basic-level work are far from enough. Through various modes, we should add a passel of health workers, who are with the basic ability to deal with HIV/AIDS prevention and control. We should organize trainings of health workers on different levels and departments. We also need to cultivate a creative research group, a professional group that is able to effectively instruct the basic-level HIV/AIDS prevention and control, and a prevention and control group that can afford the basic-level work. We should care for HIV/AIDS prevention and control staff, especially those working at the grass roots level. We should take care of them in policies, support them in work, care for them in their lives, and encourage them continue contributing to the enterprise of HIV/AIDS prevention and control. During the survey in Henan, I was deeply touched by the professionals working on HIV/AIDS, especially the grass roots health workers. They have heavy-loaded work, hard conditions, low salaries, and potential occupational risks. But they are not well understood by others. Despite of hardness, they are so lofty in their occupational spirit and care that they offer medicines and treatment to every patients and help release their pains. That is very moving and respectable. We should show more care and love to them, which is not only greatly helpful for the stabilization and building of HIV/AIDS prevention and control professionals, but acknowledgement and encouragement for them, and their due return. Moreover, we should emphasize the role of the senior experts and scholars who possess gracious professional ethics, exquisite skills in HIV/AIDS prevention and control, selfless working spirit and enthusiasm for the enterprise of HIV/AIDS prevention and control. They are our backbone in HIV/AIDS prevention and control. We should create favorable working conditions for them.
All districts and department concerned must implement the “four frees and one care” policy in a very careful and solid way and really send the care of the Party and government to all PLWHA and their families. We should help them relieve pains, establish confidence against the disease and overcome the difficulties. Through the implementation of the “four frees and one care” policy, we should keep on searching and accumulating experience to promote the work of HIV/AIDS care and treatment.

4. To grope for an effective HIV/AIDS control mechanism with government leading and the whole society participating actively,.

In the past over 10 years, through the reference of foreign experience and analysis of the situation of our country, we have been endeavouring to search for an affective mechanism for HIV/AIDS prevention and control, and have achieved certain success. In the past 2 years, we have accumulated some precious experience in fighting against SARS. This reveals that along with the development and change of economy and society, we still need actively grope for an effective mechanism of HIV/AIDS prevention and control with government leading and public participation, which meets with the needs of new situation. The leading role of government is the key of HIV/AIDS prevention and control.
First of all, we should strengthen the government leadership. Chief leaders at different levels must be in responsible for HIV/AIDS prevention and control. It should be taken into the governmental working agenda and the development plan of society and economy. We must ensure necessary resources of labor, material and fund, making clear the objective of HIV/AIDS control, duties and assignments, and the implementation of policies and measures related. HIV/AIDS prevention and control should be brought into the building of the public health system and the general plan of pilot work of cooperative treatment in rural areas. We should help AIDS patients, encouraging them to help themselves by engaging in production. Both currently and for a certain time in future, China’s Medium-and Long-term Plan for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control (1998-2010), China Plan of Action for Containment and Control of HIV/AIDS (2001-2005) and A Notice of State Council on Strengthening the Prevention and control of HIV/AIDS should be the steering documents for HIV/AIDS prevention and control. They should be carefully carried out.
Secondly, the functional departments should play their roles. According to the respective functions, by specifying the respective duties, clarifying responsibilities and carrying out close cooperation, all the departments concerned must research on and set down the policies and measures of HIV/AIDS prevention and control, and earnestly intensify guidance and supervision of the work. The member units of HIV/AIDS prevention and control especially, should put forth effort on studying, coordinating and solving important problems in HIV/AIDS prevention and control, by carefully performing their own duties, strengthening mutual coordination, intensifying guidance towards the local and basic-level work and the implementation of plans and deployments.
Thirdly, we should implement HIV/AIDS prevention and control according to the law. Public behaviors and HIV/AIDS prevention and control should both be normalized by the legal system. As to such laws as Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Prevention and control of Infectious Diseases, Law of the People's Republic of China on Maternal and Infant Health Care, Law of the People's Republic of China on Blood Donation, we should on one hand continuously implement them, and on the other hand clean up and emend the content unsuitable for HIV/AIDS prevention and control, keeping all the laws and regulations in accordance. Besides, by intensifying investigations and researches on new situations and new problems, we should modify and perfect laws and regulations concerned continuously, set down specific and applicable measures and methods, and form a system of laws and regulation on HIV/AIDS control. We should strengthen the supervision of law enforcement, ensuring that laws and regulations are faithfully carried out in the work of HIV/AIDS prevention and control. By law publicity and education, we should help the whole society understand the importance of HIV/AIDS control according to the law and eliminate social scares and discrimination, and help the PLWHA promote their awareness of law-observing. Through unremitting and persistent law construction, we should earnestly normalize behaviors of HIV/AIDS control, and create a legal environment favorable for it to keep the work proceeds in order. We must crack down those who engage in illegal medical activities and fake medicine selling. These people know no humanitarianism, and must be punished severely.
Fourthly, HIV/AIDS prevention and control need to be carried out in a scientific way. Both prevention and control of HIV/AIDS should depend on science. Scientific prevention and control should be taken as an important content of government leading. By organizing various forces, the government should intensity scientific experiments and technological researches, especially researches on application science of HIV/AIDS prevention and control, for instance, more effective medicines with less noxious side effect, optimization of the Rx, promoting compliance of patients in the medical treatment, control of the occurrence and development of drug resistance, treatment of related diseases, improvement of treatment effects, reducing of harms to the patients. Moreover, supervision and testing methods, strategies and skills of publicity and education, and intervening policies and measures should be more cost-effective, pertinent, and practical. All these have a problem of science. We need organize professionals and search for proper settlements. Scientific methods should be adopted in HIV/AIDS prevention and control and in evaluation of the effects to get better effects. Through scientific HIV/AIDS prevention and control, we should find, diagnose and treat as many PLWHA as possible. We should continuously intensify scientific researches on HIV/AIDS prevention and control and do our best to fight against HIV/AIDS.
Although it is necessary to emphasize government leadership, leadership does not mean monopolization and we need to make full use of social resources. Especially nowadays, economic and social environments have experienced profound changes; socialist market economy system has got a great development; the pluralism of society becomes more obvious. Both consciousness and capability of helping the poor have been greatly promoted. With the prominence of government leadership, we must sufficiently involve various social forces in HIV/AIDS prevention and control, which is not only objective demands of HIV/AIDS prevention and control but inevitable trends of economic and social development. First of all, we need to stabilize and organize social forces. These days, a variety of caring for PLWHA activities have been carried out by Communist Youth League, Women's Federation，HIV/AIDS/STD Prevention and control Society, and AIDS Foundation, in combination of their own characteristics. Some corporations and international organizations also have taken part in HIV/AIDS prevention and control. Some volunteers even set up schools and orphanages and go to hospitals, communities and rural areas to service AIDS patients. We must properly protect, guide, and employ this kind of positivity. By such means of publicity, education and so on, we should actively guide a variety of forces to involve in the work of HIV/AIDS control. These forces include various health organizations and disease prevention and control organizations at different levels, all the government-owned corporations and institutions, schools, various social and voluntary organizations, nongovernmental corporations, the numerous volunteers, and even some international organizations and institutions. Second, we should explore the way to develop a multi-channel donation mechanism. In recent years, the enterprise of public welfare in China has grown rapidly. We have established state organizations of public welfare and frequent donation system. Some corporations and individuals are both willing and able to donate fund or gift. Sate Council has published The Fund Management Regulation. All these have created favorable basis for a multi-channel donation mechanism. We should collect social fund for HIV/AIDS prevention and control, by the means of establishing various funds, setting up a special item in the commonweal fund, organizing social donation, establishing offices to receive donation, etc. Moreover, we must make sure that these social resources are actually used to help the targeted group. Through intervention and platform development, the government should ensure the proper use of social forces and funds. We should intensify trainings of social forces so that they have necessary skills to do service. We should also strengthen the management of funds, and simplify procedures for the objects of HIV/AIDS program to get fund. We should encourage social forces and funds to get into communities, rural areas and pilot sites where there are PLWHA. By cultivating warm and healthy communities atmosphere, forming warm heart centers, setting up schools and orphanages, and voluntary service and self-help by engaging production, etc., we should serve and care for PLWHA so that they can feel the care from the Party, government and the whole society and establish confidence of defeating the disease. In all, we should fully guide all kinds of social forces do their own contribution in various means, to form an effective mechanism of HIV/AIDS prevention and control with participation of the whole society. I hope that by emancipating our mind, widening the visual field, exploiting thinking modes, exploring bravely, and strengthening the guiding function, all districts and departments concerned reform and innovate related policies and measures, create favorable environment and conditions for the participation of social forces in HIV/AIDS control, and endeavor to carry out this important program in a good way.
To promote HIV/AIDS prevention and control in an all-around way is an important and pressing mission, which is related to the physical health and life safety of the people, and the continuous, harmonious development of economy and society. We must by all means firmly carry out the deployments and demands of Central Committee of the Party and State Council. Practical and steady meanwhile exploring audaciously and keeping along with the times, we must carry out all the measures of HIV/AIDS prevention and control and endeavor to search for effective mechanisms of HIV/AIDS prevention and control to promote the work of HIV/AIDS prevention and control in China to a newer and higher level.