December 1st is "World AIDS Day". The Ministry of Health said yesterday that more than 264,000 people in China were reported to contract HIV, of whom 78,000 were AIDS patients. By the end of September, nearly 35,000 people will have died of AIDS. The report shows the disease is serious in special groups and areas, and has aroused high attention.

Let's take a closer look at the media opinions.

A commentary from the 'Beijing News' believes that allowing the birth of HIV infected babies is irresponsible for both the babies and society. Guangzhou City is planning to take related measures such as providing free AIDS test to pregnant women, thus will effectively cut down Mother to baby transmission. The paper suggests that free AIDS tests for pregnant mothers should be a national requirement.

Another review in the 'Beijing News' says AIDS is a disease the whole society must fight against. The prevention and control work done by the government, medical organizations, and non-governmental institutions is not enough. Related legal regulations and systems should be set up to clarify the responsibilities and roles of those non-governmental institutions, and give them necessary funding.

The Worker's Daily says that despite publicity over the years, the living environment for AIDS sufferers is not optimistic. They suffer pressures both mentally and physically. The World AIDS Day aims to teach the public about prevention, and at the same time improve understanding and sympathy for AIDS sufferers.