The funds allocated by China for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment surged 20 times in eight years so far, but a financial shortage still remains a problem for its 840,000 and growing HIV carriers, report said.

The Joint Assessment of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Treatment and Care in China, prepared by the Chinese Ministry of Health and the UN Theme Group on HIV/AIDS in China, was issued in Beijing on Monday, the 16th World AIDS Day.

The report said the Chinese central government allocated 5 million yuan (US$0.6 million) as the first special fund for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in 1996.

The money surged 15 million yuan per year in the 1998-2000 period and 100 million yuan per year in 2001-2003 period, the report said.

Chinese Vice Minister of Health Gao Qiang told a UN meeting last September that China will offer free anti-virus medicine for AIDS patients who are too poor to pay the fee.

The central and local governments will invest over 10 billion yuan to strengthen the medical service system on contagious diseases and organize professional HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment working teams, the report said.

In 2002, the central government distributed 290 million yuan to support building of disease control agencies at the provincial, prefecture and county level of middle and west provinces, the report said.

In 2001, a total of 225 million yuan, 125 million yuan from central government and 100 million yuan from local governments, was used to build and equip blood stations in the economically lagging middle and west regions of China, report said.

But China needs about US$400 million in the coming five years for publicizing HIV/AIDS knowledge and disease prevention, expert predicted.

The report urged China to allocated more funds, use money more effectively and utilize social resources on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

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