Speaking at a plenary meeting of the special session of the United Nations General Assembly on HIV/AIDS on Monday afternoon, Zhang Wenkang said that "inadequate resources are major factors to the worsening of HIV/AIDS prevalence, which occur mainly in developing countries."

"The rapid spreading of HIV/AIDS is attributable to poverty and is, at the same time, a major contributing factor to worse poverty, " he said.

He said that the capability of developing countries in combating HIV/AIDS has been weakened by the irrational international political and economic order, the heavy burden of debts and inadequate technical know-how.

He put forth a four-point proposal, to the effect of laying emphasis on prevention, promoting the solution of treatment of HIV/ AIDS patients in developing countries, combining good measures in light of current issues and long-term control and prevention strategies, and strengthening international cooperation.

"With the current trend of lowering pharmaceutical prices in the international market, the United Nations is expected to cooperate closely with the rest of international community to promote the solution of treatment of HIV/AIDS patients in developing countries, in order to benefit the vast number of patients," he said.

He said that it is the responsibility of the international community to help developing countries in their control activities, adding that it would be impossible to realize the global control of HIV/AIDS without the improvement of situation of the worst hit regions as soon as possible.

In his speech, Zhang also talked about the situation of HIV/ AIDS control in China. He said the Chinese government gives priority to the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS.

According to the minister, the input of funding for the control of HIV/AIDS from the Chinese central government has increased about seven folds, from about 1.7 million U.S. dollars to the present 12.4 million U.S. dollars. About 110 million U.S. dollars in the form of national bonds has been used for further improvement of services of blood banks.

The prevention and control and HIV/AIDS in China is steadily progressing under the leadership of the government at all levels, said Zhang.

Zhang said a profound change has taken place in the development trend of HIV/AIDS, which is still spreading across the world. HIV/ AIDS has become a danger and crisis over the world and global action is called for to hold back its continuous spreading, he said.

He said the convocation of this special session is a manifestation of great importance attached by countries as well as their determination and courage in combating HIV/AIDS.

The Chinese government, he said, deeply appreciates the efforts of the United Nations for the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS at the global level, particularly in the coordination and strengthening of activities of relevant international organizations.

The special session opened at the U.N. headquarters in New York this morning.

(People’s Daily 06/26/2001)