Health officials in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, said yesterday that a large HIV
testing program would be launched on Thursday, targeting groups of
people in the region most at risk of becoming infected.
Though the tests will be voluntary, the health department
encouraged people to take them to help improve HIV/AIDS
preventioan and treatment initiatives, especially injecting drug
users, sex workers and people who have had other sexually
transmitted infections.
Partners and children of those known to have HIV/AIDS will also
be sought for testing, and there will be mandatory screening of
prisoners.
The program, jointly organized by regional public health,
judicial and public security departments, is planned to last until
the end of March and aims to test 150,000 people.
The objective is to get a better picture of the spread of HIV in
Xinjiang, improve HIV/AIDS services and increase awareness.
Muhanmetemin Yasa, director of the regional public health
department, said Xinjiang recorded 11,303 HIV infections by the end
of September, making it the fourth most-affected part of the
country. Of them, 311 had been diagnosed with AIDS and 83 had
died.
(Xinhua News Agency December 14, 2005)