Public Health Minister, Chen Minzhang CCTV Interview 1990

A narrator started by saying ''AIDS was introduced into our country in the early 1980s. In recent years, the disease has become widespread to a relatively serious extent, and has become a severe epidemic in certain localities.''

There followed an interview with the Public Health Minister, Chen Minzhang:

When asked about the spread of AIDS in China, Chen Minzhang said ''Since Zen present, we have received reports on 446 cases of the disease. Of these, five patients are showing symptoms. Two of the patients are citizens of our country, while the other three are from abroad. In the past, AIDS patients mainly came from abroad, and very few were local people, that is, our own people. But the situation has changed since last year. Among the 446 cases, only 68 are from the outside, while the remaining 378 cases are local people. This deserves our great attention. Moreover, 368 of the 378 cases have been found in certain remote areas in Yunnan. Though the geographic scope is limited, the influence of the disease is considerable.

''To prevent its spread, we have taken a series of measures. In the cases found in Yunnan, the principal channel of infection is the intravenous injection of narcotics. As a matter of fact, the transmission of the disease in our country is through sexual contact, blood transfusions and intravenous injection of narcotics. This information should be used in educating people on how to prevent the disease. They should be made aware that AIDS may be transmitted through these channels.''

Then, with video illustrations, the narration explains how the AIDS virus is transmitted from one person to another, stating what are and what are not possible channels of its spread.

Dai Zhicheng, director of the Department of Health and Epidemic Prevention under the Ministry of Public Health, was then interviewed.

In response to a question about China's AIDS research work and measures taken to monitor the disease, Dai Zhicheng said ''All provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in our country have started AIDS monitoring work. The Ministry of Public Health has set up three laboratories to test AIDS cases and give final diagnoses. These three laboratories are the Virological Laboratory of the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, the Shanghai Municipal Health and Epidemic Prevention Station and the laboratory in the Military Medical Science Academy. Thus, an initial AIDS monitoring system has been established in our country. In the first place, we have a reliable serological method for AIDS diagnosis. Secondly, we have separated the virus from clinical AIDS cases. The virus can be used as an antigen for diagnosing the disease. In addition, we have made progress in using herbal medicines to treat AIDS.''

Asked about the control measures the government has introduced for AIDS carriers, Dai Zhicheng said ''They should avoid abnormal sexual activities. In normal sexual intercourse, it is necessary to use condoms. They also should be prohibited from giving and receiving blood. This will prevent the transmission of the disease through blood and sexual contacts. This is the first measure. The second measure is that close medical observation will be kept on positive AIDS carriers. These carriers often become patients after a period in which the disease has been latent. It is imperative to observe them closely so as to discover symptoms as early as possible and isolate them according to the Law on Contagious Diseases. This will prevent the spread of the disease in our society.''

With regard to comprehensive efforts made to control the disease, Dai Zhicheng said ''Like other venereal diseases, AIDS is closely related to social activities. In Western countries, AIDS is a disease that is very hard to control. In our country, because of the superiority of our socialist system, we can take comprehensive measures to control it. For example, an anti-pornography drive is being developed throughout the entire society. I believe that this is an effective measure for eliminating AIDS and other venereal diseases. It is imperative to firmly ban such unhealthy or criminal acts as prostitution, visiting prostitutes and using drugs. Also, it is necessary to enact legislation to ban them. This is the radical way to eliminate the soil for growing AIDS.

''Finally, I wish to take this opportunity to call on the public in society and all public health and medical workers to properly and scientifically deal with AIDS patients and positive AIDS carriers. They should not discriminate against and forsake these people, but should exercise revolutionary humanism. As seriously harmful as this disease is, AIDS can be prevented from a scientific viewpoint.''
––“Health Officials on Measure to Control; the Spread of AIDS,” China Central Television, 29 November 1990 in Lexis-Nexis.