CRI NEWS

China Preparing for National Law on HIV/AIDS

2004-12-1 8:44:12 CRIENGLISH.com

Upon the coming of another World AIDS Day this Wednesday, information related to HIV/ADIS is becoming a hot topic all over China.

Local laws and regulations have been released by provincial governments, but a national law relating to HIV/AIDS in particular does not exist. This means there are no consistent standards for dealing with the disease. Yang Shaogang is a senior lawyer from Shanghai, who has been offering legal assistant to many HIV/AIDS patients. He says he is concerned about current rules and regulations in China.

"Local regulations focus more on restricting HIV/AIDS patients, rather than protecting their human rights, including the rights on employment, education, social welfare, and so on. Some of the rules are out of date and discriminatory."

The lawyer says Chinese people used to consider it impossible for AIDS to spread into China. When it did come and became quite prevalent in some parts of the country, the majority of the general public chose to shy away of talking about it. People also tended to exaggerate how people could become infected by the disease. But this year Yang Shaogang believes peoples attitudes are changing.

"This year is a turning point, a signal of starting a nationwide campaign against AIDS. Senior officials from the central government begin watching this problem closely. Vice Premier Wu Yi visited AIDS patients in the hardest-hit region in central Henan province. And the central government invested huge amounts of money into prevention campaigns and medicines for local communities around the country. This commitment shows the determination of the Chinese Government and people to fight the spread of this disease."

Yang Shaogang's idea is echoed by Xia Guomei, a professor from Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, also a consultant with the United Nations program on HIV/AIDS. As more local AIDS prevention regulations are released, professor Xia believes substantial progresses are being made by Chinese legislators on the issue of HIV/AIDS.

"The progress in recent years is obvious in terms of law-making. Governments are providing free medical care for HIV/AIDS patients and free education for AIDS orphans. And some prevention methods carried out in trial areas are dictating our future direction. But there are several problems to be solved in the near future to guarantee the effect of a national AIDS prevention law."

These problems mentioned by professor Xia include how to confine responsibilities of governments, the status of non-government organizations, how to protect various human rights and social welfares of HIV/AIDS patients, as well as set up basic principles in AIDS prevention.

And Yang Shaogang, the lawyer from Shanghai, points out another concern in making such a law.

"Besides protecting the rights of those patients, the law should also regulate how to deal with crimes related to AIDS. For example, some HIV/AIDS patients spread the disease to others on purpose. And some negligent government officials don't abide by rules on blood donation and health administration and cause AIDS virus transmitted to more people. In a word, the national law should protect patient's privacy and rights, meanwhile guarantee the interests of the general public."

The experts agree it will take time to make the national ADIS prevention law. However making the public aware of the issues will help achieve broad recognition of patients rights, and also awareness on how to prevent the spread of the disease. But meanwhile, as more volunteers are seen in the streets giving out condoms and teaching the people dos and don'ts, the international community will become more confident that the Chinese Government and the Chinese people take the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Xiaoyu, CRI news.

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