BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- The China representative
of the UN children's organisation UNICEF Dr. Yin Yin Nwe has commended the
Chinese government on its AIDS prevention efforts, but has called for more
public involvement in fighting the disease.
Nwe said the Chinese government was deeply committed to tackling AIDS problems. "On my first day
at work last December, I met with Premier Wen Jiabao, and he said to me that the
Chinese government is resolute in achieving progress in the fight against the
epidemic," she said.
Nwe made the comment while attending an event held
Friday in Beijing, at which Cartier donated three million yuan (about 388,000
U.S. dollars) to UNICEF for HIV/AIDS prevention and care in China.
She said UNICEF has close partnerships with the
Chinese government. "We meet very frequently with the ministries, the Chinese
National Committee for the Care of Children (CNCCC) and the local governments,"
she said.
Nwe said AIDS was not previously a big problem in
China but it had been growing in importance in recent years. China had 183,733
officially reported HIV/AIDS cases in 2006, but experts from the Ministry of
Health estimate there are more likely to be 650,000 people living with HIV/AIDS
in China.
"Through drug and sex workers, the disease is getting
from high-risk groups into the population. Unless people are aware, there is no
way to stop the epidemic," she warned.
"The government cannot do everything at every level
and the public need to take action and be involved," Nwe said.
"We need to help and educate the public, like you,
me, my son, his friends, who are not normally regarded as risk groups, that
everyone is at risk from AIDS," she said.
"China is a large country with a huge number of young
people, who are tempted to try drugs and sex. It's not enough to tell them'don't
do drugs,' we need to tell them why," she said.
"Only after people are aware and informed can we
decrease discrimination against HIV carriers and better prevent further spread
of the deadly disease," she added.
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