Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region reported nearly 6,000 new HIV infections in the past year, with 17 people contracting the virus every day, according to the local health department.

Statistics from the department shows Xinjiang has reported 17,209 HIV infections, including 700 AIDS cases and 111 deaths. The region has the fourth largest number of reported HIV/AIDS cases in China, following Yunnan, Henan and Guangxi.

Xinjiang is expected to face a serious health crisis in coming years when people living with HIV become patients with full blown AIDS.

The local health department estimates that the actual number of HIV carriers in the region may be more than 60,000.

Xinjiang's first HIV carrier was discovered in 1995 but it has spread rapidly by drug addicts who share contaminated needles. In some areas, the virus have spread from husband to wife and now from mothers to babies.

In order to curb the spread of HIV, Xinjiang has set up many needle exchange centers and methadone treatment clinics in its main cities such as Urumqi and Yining. It offers free treatment to the poor HIV/AIDS sufferers.

Urumqi, Xinjiang's regional capital city, has begun to promote condom use at all hotels.

China has approximately 650,000 people living with HIV, including 75,000 AIDS patients, according to estimates by official ministry.

Source: Xinhua