If with active, effective measures and adequate funds, China is expected to keep the number of HIV carriers within 1.5 million by the year 2010, said Dai Zhicheng, an expert on AIDS control with the Ministry of Health,

Dai made the remarks at the first China International Forum on Sexual Medicine held in southwest China's Chongqing municipality, Oct. 22.

"China is expected to keep its HIV-infected population within 1.5 million if effective measures, adequate funds and scientific mechanism are put into place," said Dai, "otherwise the figure may reach 10 million by that time."

China now has about 840,000 HIV-positive people since the first case was reported in 1985, including 80,000 AIDS patients.

By the end of June 2005, there had been 126,808 officially reported HIV carriers and 28,789 AIDS patients. An HIV epidemic on the rise has become a severe threat to public health.

Funds of several billion yuan have been put into AIDS control by central and local governments in recent years, said Dai.

By People's Daily Online