Commentary remarks on “HIV/AIDS in China“

The global AIDS epidemic continues to spread in the world. HIV in Factor Ⅷ infected the first Chinese in 1983,while the first AIDS patient was reported in 1985 in China. By the end of 2003, the cumulative estimated number of citizens living with HIV/AIDS is 840,000. At the end of September 2005, the cumulative number of reported HIV/AIDS cases is 135,630. These reports indicate that the HIV/AIDS epidemic is spreading in the general population and that the proportion of female HIV case has increased considerably in recent years. It is predicted that there will be about 10millions HIV/AIDS cases in China by the year 2010 if the appropriate and sufficient action against the AIDS epidemic is not taken.……     

Commentary Remarks on “HIV/AIDS in China”

The global AIDS epidemic continues to spread in the world. HIV in Factor VIII infected the first Chinese in 1983, while the first AIDS patient was reported in 1985 in China. By the end of 2003, the cumulative estimated number of HIV/ AIDS cases is 840,000. At the end of September 2005, the cumulative number of reported HIV/AIDS is 135,630. These reports indicate that the HIV/AIDS epidemic is spreading in the general population and that the proportion of female HIV case has inc…     

HIV/AID research in China: Chasing against time

The spread of HIV in China has lasted for over 20 years, and is marked by three periods: sporadic period(1984-1988), localized epidemic period (1989-1994),rapid growth period (1995-present). In the end of July 2007, the cumulative reported cases living with HIV/AIDS were 214,300.     

Injection drug use and HIV/AIDS transmission in China

After nearly three decades of being virtually drug free, use of heroin and other illicit drugs has re-emerged in China as a major public health problem. One result is that drug abuse, particularly heroin injection, has come to play a predominant role in fueling China＇s AIDS epidemic. The first outbreak of HIV among China＇s IDUs was reported in the border area of Yunnan province between China and Myanmar where drug trafficking is heavy. Since then drug-related HIV has spread to all 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. This paper provides an overview to HIV/AIDS transmission through injection drug use in China. It begins with a brief history of the illicit drug trade in China, followed by a discussion of the emergence of drug related AIDS, and a profile of drug users and their sexual partners who have contracted the virus or who are vulnerable to infection. It ends by summarizing three national strategies being used by China to address both drug use and AIDS as major health threats.     

Injection drug use and HIV/AIDS transmission in China

After nearly three decades of being virtually drug free, use of heroin and other illicit drugs has re-emerged in China as a major public health problem. One result is that drug abuse, particularly heroin injection, has come to play a predominant role in fueling China‘s AIDS epidemic. The first outbreak of HIV among China‘s IDUs was reported in the border area of Yunnan province between China and Myanmar where drug trafficking is heavy. Since then drug-related HIV has spread to all 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. This paper provides an overview to HIV/AIDS transmission through injection drug use in China. It begins with a brief history of the illicit drug trade in China, followed by a discussion of the emergence of drug related AIDS, and a profile of drug users and their sexual partners who have contracted the virus or who are vulnerable to infection. It ends by summarizing three national strategies being used by China to address both drug use and AIDS as major health threats.     

The HIV epidemic in China： history, response, and challenge

The first case of AIDS was reported in 1985 in China, but by the early 21st century, the government estimated that there were 840,000 citizens living with HIV/AIDS. The number is increasing rapidly. The major risk groups are injection drug users （IDUSs; 43%） and former plasma donors （27%）, but rates among heterosexual groups are rising rapidly. Sentinel surveillance was initiated in 1986, and now includes IDUs, men-who-have-sex-with-men, sexually transmitted disease clinic attendees, antenatal women, long-distance truck drivers, and sex workers. Although the government was slow to respond to the epidemic in the late 20th century, it has made a vigorous response in the early 21st century. Components of that response include implementation and evaluation of harm reduction programs for IDUs, education to increase knowledge and reduce stigma, treatment and social support for rural and poor HIV/AIDS patients, widespread testing, and increased funding for HIV/AIDS programs. International agencies have been generous in their support of the government initiatives. To successfully combat the epidemic, China needs to develop and train the necessary infrastructure to implement its intervention programs, particularly in the rural areas, to vigorously combat stigma and discrimination, support research especially in the universities and research institutions other than the China Centers for Disease Control, develop a system for efficient exchange of research and program information, and update legislation to reflect the current situation.     

The Distribution of Different Clades of Seneca Valley Viruses in Guangdong Province,China

Seneca Valley virus (SVV), a newly determined etiological agent of vesicular disease in swine, causes porcine idiopathic disease and occasional acute death in piglets. Recently, an increased number of SVV infection cases have been reported in the United States (US) and China, resulting in significant economic losses to the swine industry. The first identification of SVV in China was reported in Guangdong Province, a major swine producing province. The cases of SVV were continuously reported in Guangdong in 2015 and 2016. However, the spread of SVV in Guangdong in 2017 remains unknown.In this study, we determined two new SVV strains, CH-GD-2017-1 and CH-GD-2017-2, from Guangdong. The genetic analysis suggested that the two Guangdong strains showed different characteristics to previous Guangdong strains. They showed lower nucleotide similarity with strains isolated in 2015 and 2016, and were more similar to the US strains.Phylogenetic analyses indicated that the new strains were clustered in a different clade with previous Guangdong strains.We found 28 mutated amino acids in the new strains, compared with the first Guangdong strain, SVV CH-01-2015. In the geographic analysis, we found that the US and China reported more SVV cases than other countries, and most of the SVV cases were reported in east and central China—of which, Guangdong Province is one of the major epidemic regions. In conclusion, our findings indicate that SVV continued to spread in Guangdong Province in 2017, and two different clades of SVVs have emerged in this region.     

International NeuroAIDS: prospects of HIV-1 associated neurological com-plications

INTRODUCTION AND NEUROEPIDEMIO- LOGY OF HIV/AIDS AIDS was first recognized as a new and distinct clini- cal entity in 1981 [1] and the HIV-1 as their casual agent in 1983 [2]. Since then, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has reached epidemic proportions with a total accumulative number of more than 60 million people, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and WHO. The extensive spread of HIV-1 epidemics in Asia was not appreciated in the 1980s,…     

AIDS Research and Its Role in China's AIDS Prevention and Control Policies

By the end of 2005,the estimated number of HIV infected people in China was 650,000. The seriousness of the epidemic calls for effective control measures to tackle the problems in order to avoid the tragedy in Africa from happening in China. "Prevention First" is the cornerstone of the country's health policy. On 2003 World AIDS Day,Premier Jiabao Wen announced a new national AIDS control policy,"Four Frees and One Care". This policy clearly shows that the Chinese government has once again taken full responsibility to solve public health problems and has profound impact far beyond the AIDS field. In early 2006,the central government put scientific and technology innovation as a national priority and set the target to build an innovative China by year 2020. Since then,the government has been increasing investment in science and technology with major emphasis on both infectious diseases control and new drug research and development. For the first time,development of 100 new drugs and control of major infectious diseases (AIDS,HBV,TB and other emerging infectious diseases) have been selected as national key scientific projects. China's best minds in related fields will be pooled to work together in order to remove the technical barriers blocking efficient control of the major infectious disease in China. Knowledge on molecular epidemiology,immunology,pathogenesis,HAART,as well as HIVDR strains will certainly provide urgently needed scientific information for China's AIDS control program. Only evidence-based strategy from good research will provide long-term effective control of AIDS.     

AIDS Research and Its Role in China＇s AIDS Prevention and Control Policies

By the end of 2005, the estimated number of HIV infected people in China was 650,000. The seriousness of the epidemic calls for effective control measures to tackle the problems in order to avoid the tragedy in Africa from happening in China. ＂Prevention First＂ is the cornerstone of the country＇s health policy. On 2003 World AIDS Day, Premier Jiabao Wen announced a new national AIDS control policy, ＂Four Frees and One Care＂. This policy clearly shows that the Chinese government has once again taken full responsibility to solve public health problems and has profound impact far beyond the AIDS field. In early 2006, the central government put scientific and technology innovation as a national priority and set the target to build an innovative China by year 2020. Since then, the government has been increasing investment in science and technology with major emphasis on both infectious diseases control and new drug research and development. For the first time, development of 100 new drugs and control of major infectious diseases （AIDS, HBV, TB and other emerging infectious diseases） have been selected as national key scientific projects. China＇s best minds in related fields will be pooled to work together in order to remove the technical barriers blocking efficient control of the major infectious disease in China. Knowledge on molecular epidemiology, immunology, pathogenesis, HAART, as well as HIVDR strains will certainly provide urgently needed scientific information for China＇s AIDS control program. Only evidence-based strategy from good research will provide long-term effective control of AIDS.     

Governmental policies on HIV infection in China

EVOLUTION OF THE GOVERNMENT POLI- CIES Looking back 20 and more years, one could have hardly imagined that such great changes would have happened to the governmental policies on HIV/AIDS in China. In the earlier phase of the epidemic, laws and regulations were drafted based on the practices and experiences of preven- tion and control of other infectious diseases, such as isolation, quarantine and compulsory testing and examina- tions etc. When the HIV/AIDS epidemic was firstl…     

Care of HIV-infected patients in China

Compared with high infection areas of the world, the total HIV infection rate in China is relatively low. Nonetheless, because of China＇s vast territory and large population, the potential infection risk must be taken seriously. In the next few years, needle sharing among injection drug users will remain the most common route of transmission for the HIV/AIDS epidemic in China. Unprotected sex is gradually becoming a major route of transmission. China began to implement HAART in 1999 according to international standards. Prior to 2003, there were only about 150 HIV/AIDS patients were treated with HAART in some clinical trials and about 100 HIV/AIDS patients were treated by private sources. Results of those treatments are the scientific basis for development of the therapeutic strategies in China. In March of 2003, the Chinese government initiated China CARES program. In November of 2003, the Chinese Ministry of Health announced a national policy of free ARV treatment to all HIV＋ Chinese citizens who were in poverty and required ARV therapy. There are total of 19,456 HIV/AIDS patients received free ARV drugs to date in 159 regions and 441 towns. Current challenges are how to follow-up and evaluate those patients in the clinical settings. The longer the therapy is postponed, the more side effects and the higher probability of drug resistance are going to occur. It remains unclear, therefore, when HAART regimen should be started in the HIV/AIDS population in China.     

Care of HIV-infected patients in China

Compared with high infection areas of the world, the total HIV infection rate in China is relatively low. Nonetheless,because of China‘s vast territory and large population, the potential infection risk must be taken seriously. In the next few years, needle sharing among injection drug users will remain the most common route of transmission for the HIV/AIDS epidemic in China. Unprotected sex is gradually becoming a major route of transmission. China began to implement HAART in 1999 according to international standards. Prior to 2003, there were only about 150 HIV/AIDS patients were treated with HAART in some clinical trials and about 100 HIV/AIDS patients were treated by private sources.Results of those treatments are the scientific basis for development of the therapeutic strategies in China. In March of 2003, the Chinese government initiated China CARES program. In November of 2003, the Chinese Ministry of Health announced a national policy of free ARV treatment to all HIV Chinese citizens who were in poverty and required ARV therapy. There are total of 19,456 HIV/AIDS patients received free ARV drugs to date in 159 regions and 441 towns.Current challenges are how to follow-up and evaluate those patients in the clinical settings. The longer the therapy is postponed, the more side effects and the higher probability of drug resistance are going to occur. It remains unclear,therefore, when HAART regimen should be started in the HIV/AIDS population in China.     

United Nations system efforts to support the response to AIDS in China

In the last two years, we have seen a remarkable intensification in the response to AIDS in China. A number of organizations have joined and contributed to the efforts of the Chinese government in responding the AIDS epidemic in China. This article specifically describes the role of the United Nations in supporting and strengthening those responses. Achievements of the United Nations （UN） highlighted in the article include： strengthened leadership and political commitment to respond to AIDS; improved HIV/AIDS surveillance and information; expanded prevention efforts; improved treatment, care and support to people living with HIV and increased resources for AIDS programs. Additional roles of the United Nations system in the near future include strengthening national leadership by supporting the ‘three ones＇, i. e., one national plan on AIDS; one national coordinating authority for AIDS; and one monitoring and evaluation system for AIDS. In addition, the UN system is expected to strengthen alignment and harmonization of activities of all international organizations and improved accountability and oversight. Remaining challenges identified include increasing awareness of AIDS and reducing stigma and discrimination; reducing vulnerability and risk behaviour among specific groups; providing improved treatment, care and support for people living with HIV; promoting stronger engagement by civil society, and; addressing the gender dimensions of AIDS.     

Injection drug use and HIV/AIDS transmission in China

INTRODUCTION Although sexual transmission accounts for most of the AIDS epidemic globally, HIV/AIDS among injecting drug users (IDUs) is a growing problem worldwide. First de- tected in China in 1989 among drug abusers on the Yunnan border, HIV/AIDS subse…     

High risk populations and HIV-1 infection in China

INTRODUCTION HIV has spread to all of China’s 31 provinces, autono- mous regions and municipalities, creating one of the fast- est-growing HIV/AIDS epidemics in the world [1,2]. The HIV/AIDS epidemic in China has gone through three phases: the Entry Phase (1985 -1988), the Spreading Phase (1989-1994) and the Expansion Phase (1995- present). The striking increase of HIV-1 infections over the past few years may herald entry into a new fourth phase that will include much larger nu…     

Current progress of China’s free ART program

INTRODUCTION At the end of 2003, there were an estimated 840,000 people in China infected with HIV, among whom 80,000 were in need of antiretroviral therapy (ART) [1]. Since 1999, the annual rate of increase in reported HIV infec- tions has been around 30%, with growing numbers of females becoming infected [1]. The transmission of HIV/ AIDS in China has been through intravenous drug use (43. 2%) in the south, southwest, and western provinces; prior commercial blood and plasma selli…     

An editorial overview: HIV/AIDS in China

China has come a long way in fighting against HIV/AIDS epidemic. The Chinese government has taken an active role in combating this detrimental disease and such a welcome attitude by the Chinese government will certainly provide a positive spin on its effort in reducing the HIV/AIDS epidemic in China.……