Vice Premier Wu Yi last week made a special investigation tour to assess AIDS control in a village in central Henan Province, where she visited villagers afflicted with the disease.

　　The visit represents the second public meeting between senior Chinese government officials and AIDS patients.

　　Premier Wen Jiabao on December 1 shook hands and spoke to three AIDS patients at a hospital in Beijing, a move apparently designed to show support for nationwide efforts to curb the disease.

　　According to a report by the Henan provincial government to the vice premier, contaminated blood transfusion involving poor farmers before 1995 has resulted in the spread of acquire immune deficiency syndrome in some areas of the province.

　　During her three-day tour that ended last Saturday, Wu inspected a clinic in Wenlou Village, Shangcai County, where she observed as medical workers examined AIDS patients.

　　Both the central and provincial governments have allocated at least US$2 million to fight the disease, a county official told Xinhua.

　　The vice premier also met medical workers and AIDS patients receiving treatment, talked with them about their illness, and later visited two families with AIDS patients in the village.

　　The vice premier then attended a discussion with AIDS patients, shaking hands with them.

　　During her tour, Wu described the prevention and control of AIDS as a long-term and arduous task, which has a bearing on economic and social development as well as national security and the prosperity of the nation.

　　She called for an AIDS prevention and control mechanism characterized by the leadership of governments, coordinated efforts between various government departments and participation of the whole society.

　　With the mechanism in place, Wu said, AIDS prevention and control should be listed as a priority on the government's agenda.

　　China has taken steps to fight the disease, including improving leadership, increased investment in prevention and control programs in areas hit hard by the disease, and free medicine and treatment of rural residents and needy urban residents, she added.

　　She said governments at all levels should continue to crack down on illegal blood deals and regulate the blood donation system.

　　China reportedly has 840,000 HIV carriers, including 80,000 AIDS patients. The figure may rocket to 10 million by 2010, experts predict.