The number of reported HIV/AIDS cases in China increased by 28% in the first 10 months of 2006, and the virus appears to be spreading to a broader population, China's Ministry of Health said Wednesday in a report posted on its Web site, Reuters reports (Reuters, 11/21).
According to the Ministry, the number of reported HIV cases has increased 28%, from 144,089 in December 2005 to 183,733 on Oct. 31 (Olesen, AP/International Herald Tribune, 11/22). However, health experts from the United Nations and the Chinese health ministry estimate that the undocumented number of HIV/AIDS cases could be as high as 650,000. According to the report, injection drug use accounted for 37% of the new HIV/AIDS cases, unprotected sexual contact accounted for 28%, contaminated blood from hospitals being sold illegally accounted for 5.1% and mother-to-child HIV transmission accounted for 1% (Reuters, 11/21). In addition, the report found that commercial sex workers accounted for 1% of new HIV/AIDS cases, and 1% to 4% of new cases occurred among men who have sex with men (Feng, China Daily, 11/22). The report did not state what caused the remaining 28.5% of new cases, the AP/Tribune reports (AP/International Herald Tribune, 11/22).