The latest part of a needle exchange program financed by
Australia was launched on November 23. The project, working in Guangxi
Zhuang Autonomous Region, will set up?six needle exchanges
in the cities of Nanning, Liuzhou, Bose, Wuzhou and the counties of
Lingshan and Hepu.
Sharing injecting equipment is a very easy way of transmitting
HIV, and the needle exchanges will provide clean, free equipment to
injecting drug users in order to reduce its spread.
The overall program aims to reduce the impact of AIDS in China,
Vietnam and Myanmar, and to fund the distribution of information,
condoms and injecting equipment as well as training. Guangxi and Yunnan
Province, both in southern China, were selected as locations
for 10 needle exchanges.
Huang Ling, a program coordinator, emphasized that the idea of
the exchanges is not to encourage drug use but to make sure people
who are drug-dependent "avoid being infected with HIV via shared
needles and thus reduce the risk of its being spread further."
About 3,000 registered drug users in Guangxi will be able to
exchange clean needles through the six centers, Huang
added.?
Other international assistance was also highlighted on Wednesday
when Sheila Paskman, spokesperson for the US Embassy in Beijing,
said that Americans are happy to work with the people of China on
building a future free of the pain and trouble caused by
HIV/AIDS.
The US government began a special relief fund to China in 2003
to support prevention and control efforts. By 2007, the total grant
is expected to amount to US$35 million, she said.
Given that the AIDS epidemic has spread worldwide, it's very
encouraging to see people from both the US and China working
together, she added.
(Xinhua News Agency December 2, 2004)