As I just witnessed during my recent visit here, China has made substantial progress in checking the spread of HIV but there is still a long way to go. From an infection unknown only 27 years ago, AIDS has become truly globalized. Today, 33 million people live with HIV around the globe, and 25 million more have died.
These figures are sobering. However, it is important to note that we have entered a new phase in responding to AIDS - a phase that will ultimately be far more challenging than anything we have done so far.
Now, for the first time, the AIDS response is producing real results.
In 2007, fewer people got newly infected and the number of people dying of AIDS worldwide dropped, mainly thanks to better access to antiretroviral treatment.
In China, over 34,000 people are now taking HIV drugs, up from 5,000 in 2003. But, we cannot slow down in our vigilance. Whereas substantial progress has been achieved in this country, the number of people receiving HIV drugs is still less than half the number who require them. The epidemic continues to run ahead of the response: for every two people who start taking antiretroviral drugs, another five become newly infected with HIV.
Many of those infections occur in situations that are illegal or outside of mainstream society. These give rise to apparent contradictions between respect for the law and protecting the health of people who inject drugs or are sex workers, between sexuality and morality, between needs of public security and public health, drug control and safe injections. Indeed, to confront AIDS is to confront contradictions in society.
On closer investigation, however, most of these contradictions prove to be false contradictions. A scientifically-based AIDS response can solve them for the greater wellbeing of more people.
Drug abuse, for example, is bad for an individual's health and for the community he or she lives in. HIV infections are particularly high among people who inject drugs. Laws against drugs must be respected to protect society.