China's AIDS prevention and control work is at a crucial stage because the epidemic may spread from high-risk groups to normal people, Vice Premier Wu Yi told a national work conference on AIDS prevention in Beijing yesterday.

　　Stressing the importance and the urgent need to curb the quick spread of the deadly acquired immune deficiency syndrome in China, Wu said if no effective prevention and control measures are taken, "the consequences will be very grievous."

　　China's fight against HIV/AIDS has lasted 19 years, since the first HIV case in 1985. The assessment report on the disease, released by the Ministry of Health, shows HIV is an epidemic covering all the mainland's 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. There are 840,000 HIV-carriers, of whom 80,000 suffer from AIDS.

　　"The number of HIV carriers has rapidly increased, and the virus has been spreading not only among high-risk groups, but also among normal people," said Dai Zhicheng, vice chairman of the China Sexually Transmitted Diseases and AIDS Prevention and Control Association.

　　Experts warn that more than 10 million Chinese will be HIV-positive in 2010, unless effective countermeasures are taken.

　　Wu, also head of a high-level committee for national AIDS prevention, drew praise for her tough stance in last year's anti-SARS fight. She vowed at the meeting to push forward the campaign to increase awareness of AIDS prevention and control among the general public and fight prejudice against AIDS patients and HIV carriers.

　　"The AIDS epidemic severely affects people's health and life as well as economic and social development," she said.

　　The Chinese government has taken a number of steps in this regard, including free treatment for the poor, the establishment of AIDS control centers, and the promulgation of AIDS-related laws.

　　"We should enhance management over blood banks, strictly crack down on illegal blood collection and ban in-hospital infection to curb the spread of the virus through blood transfusions," she said.

　　Firm measures should be taken to cut down on prostitution as well as the use and sale of banned drugs, and use of condoms and exchange of clean syringe needles.

　　(Xinhua)