Shanghai Health Bureau Issues Document Promoting HIV Treatment

The Shanghai Municipal Public Health Bureau has issued two new measures dealing with HIV/AIDS. The first measure will help HIV/AIDS victims with the cost of the anti-retroviral drugs needed to fight the disease and the cost of other treatments for the bacterial, viral, parasitic, and fungal opportunistic infections that affect HIV victims. These free or reduced cost treatments will be provided to people with Shanghai hukou, or household registrations. This measure also provides treatment for pregnant women with HIV/AIDS to prevent transmission to the unborn child; this category of treatment does not appear to be limited to women with a Shanghai hukou. The second measure establishes a free system of voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) for anyone who wants to participate, and provides for training the VCT staff and patient confidentiality.