China’s Fight Against AIDS

The global pandemic, HIV AIDS is spreading like forest fire worldwide and an AIDS epidemic time bomb ticks in China, the world’s most populous nation.

In 1998, China's Ministry of Health had estimated that 10 million citizens of China could be living with HIV infection by 2010 unless a vigorous program of prevention and treatment of the dreaded virus was launched. Meanwhile, the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, had pegged the estimate to a whopping 20 million infections in the same time frame.

Presently, China has an estimated 650,000 known HIV/AIDS cases with 75,000 known AIDS patients. The numbers have another gruesome fact to them. Nearly 80 percent of those living with HIV in the country do not know it compared to 25 percent unawareness in America. Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to such a ghastly virus.

A ray of hope for China; clinical trials showed that China's first AIDS vaccine is safe and possibly effective. "Forty-nine healthy people who received the injections showed no severe adverse reactions after 180 days, proving the vaccine was safe … The recipients appeared immune to the HIV-1 virus 15 days after the injection, indicating the vaccine worked well in stimulating the body's immunity” said Zhang Wei, head of the pharmaceutical registration department of the State Food and Drug Administration.

This first phase of testing the vaccine began in March 2005. The 49 volunteers between age 18 and 50 years, were divided into eight groups. Six groups received a single AIDS vaccine and the others were injected with a combined AIDS vaccine. The HIV-1 specific cells injected into the recipients were the DNA fragments of the virus that don't cause infection. By June, all the volunteers had completed 180 days of observation and showed no serious ill effects. The results mark the end of the first phase of clinical trials, which focused on the vaccine's safety.

The second phase will further assess safety and immunity and will require 300 volunteers, whereas the third phase will require 500 volunteers and will investigate the protection it might offer for high-risk groups.

The scientists will continue to analyze the results of the first phase before the State Food and Drug Administration approves the start of the second phase after a stringent assessment.

Scientists and other experts have urged the State Council, China's cabinet, to raise funds for research and encourage innovation and cooperation in research, if China wants to combat this fast spreading disease.