Design and implementation of a China comprehensive AIDS response programme (China CARES), 2003-08

Abstract

Background Prior to 2003, there was limited capacity for an HIV/AIDS response in China. In early 2003, China launched a 5-year China Comprehensive AIDS Response Programme (China CARES) to contain the spread of HIV infection and reduce its impact. This article describes the China CARES’ practices and experiences.Methods China CARES covered 83.3 million people in 127 programme sites chosen from 28 provinces based on HIV prevalence. Each China CARES site was required to carry out surveillance and surveys to understand the local HIV/AIDS epidemic, to deliver primary interventions to reduce new HIV infections among and from high-risk groups, to prevent mother-to-child transmission, to treat AIDS patients with antiretroviral medicines and to provide support services to families affected by HIV/AIDS. Data were collected to monitor and evaluate implementation.Results HIV/AIDS prevention knowledge and awareness improved significantly in China CARES sites from <30% in 2004 to 86% in 2008. The number of persons tested for HIV increased by 67% between 2005 and 2007 from 1.5 to 2.5 million. China CARES enrolled 23 000 patients in anti-retroviral treatment and supported 6007 AIDS orphans. Among pregnant women, 81.8% received counselling and 75.8% received HIV testing during antenatal care, while 92.9% of HIV-infected pregnant women and 85.5% of their newborns received anti-retroviral prophylaxis. During the project period, no known HIV transmissions occurred through blood transfusions.Conclusion China CARES has facilitated AIDS prevention, treatment and care in resource-poor, rural and ethnic minority areas of China.

Relationship Between HIV Infection, Antiretroviral Therapy, Inflammatory Markers, and Cerebrovascular Endothelial Function Among Adults in Urban China

“…In response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, China has made major strides in access to treatment, implementing the National Free Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) program which covers 28 provinces across China[3,4]. As accessibility to ART improves and life expectancy of HIV-infected individuals increases, new challenges, many of which are more typical of an aging population, have emerged[5,6] including in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) where the burden of chronic disease is growing[7].…”

Total HIV/AIDS Expenditures in Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan Province in 2010: The First Systematic Evaluation of Both Health and Non-Health Related HIV/AIDS Expenditures in China

“…Additionally, our findings demonstrate that funding has not been proportional to the burden of HIV infection in several important at-risk groups, with notable underspending among MSM, partners of people living with HIV, and prisoners and other confined populations. Resource allocation to both HIV treatment and prevention in these at risk populations must be strengthened and may ultimately help to reduce overall costs [17,18]. …”

Comparing Outcomes of HIV-Infected Chinese Adults on Antiretroviral Therapy by CD4 Count at Treatment Initiation: A Nationwide Retrospective Observational Cohort Study, 2012–2014

“…The NFATP database has been described in previous publications. 18–20 Standardized case report forms (CRFs) are used by China CDC public health workers to gather information from local ART clinic staff on patients meeting criteria for inclusion in the NFATP database. Different CRFs are used to track five treatment statuses of a patient’s treatment: an initial patient assessment, treatment follow-up, treatment regimen change, treatment/follow-up termination, and transfer of care.…”