AIDS becomes
Wed Feb 18, 10:18 am ET
Though the report by the Xinhua News Agency, citing the Ministry of Health, did not explain the jump, a possible factor is the Chinese government's improved reporting of HIV/AIDS statistics in recent years as it slowly acknowledged the presence of the disease.
The number of confirmed HIV infections also nearly doubled to 264,302 from 135,630 in 2005, the Xinhua report said.
Neither World Health Organization nor UNAIDS representatives in
Nevertheless, many Chinese are still reluctant to be tested. The government and UNAIDS estimate the number of people living with HIV in China is actually about 700,000 — much higher than the confirmed number of infections.
The government estimates that 85,000 of those have AIDS.
AIDS was the third deadliest infectious disease in
The government says 34,864 people have died of AIDS since it reported its first death from the disease in 1985.
The HIV virus that causes AIDS gained a foothold in
But last year, health authorities said sex had overtaken drug abuse as the main cause of HIV infections.
The government remains sensitive about the disease, regularly cracking down on activists and patients who seek more support and rights.