In order to understand the HIV/AIDS epidemic across China and accurately analyze HIV/AIDS epidemic situation, a meeting for estimates of the national HIV/AIDS epidemic in China took place in Beijing on 11-17 July 2007. The National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention (NCAIDS), China CDC was commissioned by the Ministry of Health (MoH) to hold this meeting. Over 110 representatives from health departments/bureaus and CDCs of all provinces/autonomous regions/municipalities, Xinjiang Production and Construction Group, and the National Experts Working Group attended the meeting. Hao Yang, deputy director of the Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control, MoH, Wang Yu, director of China CDC, Sun Xinhua, chief of the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Bureau of Disease Prevention and Control, MoH, Wu Zunyou, director of NCAIDS, Joel Rehnstrom, representative of UNAIDS in China, Wiwat Rojanapithayakorn, head of the HIV/AIDS Team of WHO China Representative Office, and Dai Zhicheng, director the HIV/AIDS Advisory Committee, MoH, and others showed up. Hao Yang, Wang Yu, Joel and Wiwat gave speeches respectively at the opening session.
Officials from the MoH and China CDC reiterated the importance of the epidemic estimation as an urgent priority, and indicated that opening minds and scientific soundness should be ensured in all procedures of the estimation based on available data, so as to inform the next steps for HIV/AIDS prevention and control. Representatives from WHO and UNAIDS also emphasized that the Workbook estimation method used in 2007 is the most appropriate method for estimating the HIV/AIDS epidemic in China; the procedures, methods and basic data for estimation in 2007 have been improved over those in 2005; still, Workbook estimation results only represent a range. Epidemic estimation is needed because currently the case reporting data cannot comprehensively reflect HIV/AIDS prevalence.
Participants in four groups discussed and carefully reviewed the preliminary results of epidemic estimation in various provinces on July 12-17. The experts from the Headquarters of WHO and UNAIDS and NCAIDS further discussed the existing issues and their solutions in epidemic estimation together.
National and international experts from the national working group and provincial representatives reached consensus on the methods of the HIV/AIDS epidemic estimation and solutions to certain issues. After the meeting, a plan was developed for the next steps based on the progress of HIV/AIDS epidemic estimation activities in 2007, which was distributed to concerned provinces/municipalities. (Division of Epidemiology, NCAIDS)
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