问答题

The Most Effective "Vaccine" China began work related to the research, prevention and control of AIDS after the first AIDS patient was diagnosed in 1985: In 1986, the State Commission on AIDS Control was founded. In 1987, the State formulated the program on the prevention and control of AIDS. In 1990, the Ministry of Health worked out a medium-term plan on the prevention and control of AIDS, which was composed of a state general plan and 13 provincial-level plans. In December 1994, at the world anti-AIDS summit, the Chinese Government signed the Paris Declaration on the control of AIDS, making its own commitment to support global AIDS prevention and control work. In 1995, the Ministry of Health put forth several key measures on the prevention of AIDS and the focal points for future AIDS prevention and control work. In 1996, the State treasury began to appropriate special funds for AIDS prevention and control, which was then followed by 15 provinces, and 18 provinces began to set aside budgets for the prevention and control of AIDS in their annual public hygiene and epidemic prevention funds. In October, the Government decided to include the prevention and control of AIDS in the Ninth Five-Year Plan (1996-2000) and the long-term program for socioeconomic development through the 21st century. Meanwhile, relevant ministries and commissions under the State Council, together with concerned organizations, divided work and responsibilities for the prevention and control of AIDS, and 19 provinces established AIDS prevention commissions or coordination groups. In 1997, the State Council established the AIDS prevention and control coordination meeting system. In 1998, related departments formulated the program for the current AIDS prevention and control work— The Long and Medium-Term Plan for the Prevention and Control of AIDS in China (1998-2000). Tremendous efforts are still being made to monitor, prevent and control the spread of AIDS. Persistent efforts have been devoted worldwide to research on AIDS and HIV vaccines, and progress has been made in this regard. However, this virus, originating from chimpanzees in Central and West Africa, imposes unprecedented difficulties and challenges to mankind. First, many of the medicines that have been developed so far are unable to thoroughly kill the virus, and the few medicines that do have a high treatment value are limited in use due to their toxicity, side effects and unaffordable prices. Second, efforts to develop an HIV vaccine have yet to make substantial progress. The virus’’ genetic information in chromosomes can act as "time bombs" for the creation of new viruses, and variants of HIV may develop resistance against newly developed treatments, which add difficulties to the already challenging treatment process. Certain types of viruses may even not produce antigens, enabling them to escape from traditional testing methods and making them hard to diagnose. " Under the current circumstances, with no effective medicines or bio-vaccines available, extensive publicity and education concerning the prevention and control of AIDS is the most important prevention and control method, and is also the most effective vaccine at present," said Liu Kangmai. In recent years, the Ministry of Health joined efforts with relevant departments to formulate the Principles on the Publicity and Education in the Prevention and Control of AIDS and STDs. The document requires all quarters to intensify the publicity and education of regulations and laws concerning the prevention and control of infectious diseases, management over blood products and medical institutions, blood donation and the Criminal Law, in cooperation with education in the fight against drug abuse and prostitution , and in the establishment of healthy and positive concepts of love, marriage, family and sex. Despite these efforts, however, publicity and education still lack effective methods when compared with the development of the epidemic situation. The number of people receiving publicity and education is still quite limited. According to Liu Kangmai, there is a large gap between urban and rural residents in knowledge regarding AIDS. Two small-scale sample surveys conducted by the Beijing AIDS Prevention and Control Center among urban residents found that 80 percent of the participants had some knowledge on AIDS. The rate among the rural and floating population is much lower. Liu once made an investigation among long-distance truck drivers in Inner Mongolia and found that half of them were ignorant of AIDS. Two surveys conducted by the AIDS Prevention and Control Center under the Ministry of Health in 1995 and 1997 showed that 63. 7 percent and 60. 92 percent of the respective participants knew about AIDS, with 95 percent of the informed groups obtaining their information on AIDS through the media. Research conducted by the China STDs and AIDS Prevention and Control Society since 1991 found that the high risk groups lack knowledge about AIDS. The investigation was conducted through question-aires, group discussions, on-the-spot observations and interviews among prostitutes, long-distance truck drivers, workers returning from service abroad and people who engage in promiscuous activities. Of the 410 female attendants who worked in roadside service establishments in the suburbs of three cities in Guangxi, 42 percent admitted that they had had multiple sex partners, with only 1.6 percent u-sing condoms. Of the 119 female attendants who worked in roadside service establishments in the suburbs of two cities in Shandong, 64 percent admitted they had offered sexual services, with less than 7 percent of them using condoms each time. All of the 221 female attendants working in roadside establishments in Hainan, averaging an age of 19, supported themselves with prostitution. Of them, 34 percent had never heard of AIDS, 35 percent were ignorant of STDs, 62 percent did not realize that STD is a kind of infectious disease, and only 28 percent thought they might have contracted STDs. The 267 inmates in the women’’s reformatories in Beijing, Dalian, Xi’’an and Nanjing, who were confined for prostitution, knew little about the channels for the spread of AIDS. Research conducted among 364 Guangxi and 160 Shandong long-distance truck drivers found that 43 percent and 23 percent of the respective groups had had multiple sex partners, and that less than 2 percent of them used condoms each time. A survey of 260 workers just about to go abroad for labor service showed that 20 percent had had more than two sex partners, and that 5-7 percent said they would seek prostitutes abroad to satisfy their sexual needs. Prof. Liao Susu, who was involved in this research, said that since personal behavior is affected by numerous factors, such as society, economy, culture, politics, personal understanding, consciousness and feelings, it is hard to change. She suggested taking an insensitive attitude toward the sensitive issue of AIDS. Some people believe that those with high risk lifestyles and those who have contracted HIV are bad elements or morally degenerate people, which is untrue, said Prof. Liao. Their problems should be resolved the same way as those of ordinary people, Liao argued. Some researchers boldly proposed masturbation to meet sexual needs, saying that it is a healthy form of sexual satisfaction and sexual release, and is much safer than promiscuity. Experts explain that while extensively applying legal means and carrying out moral education, health education should be conducted among both ordinary and high risk population groups. This will help promote safe sex and effectively prevent and control the spread of AIDS. Of the 221 female attendants working in roadside establishments in Hainan, supported themselves with prostitution, ________had never heard of AIDS.