[originaltext] After years of failing to take the disease seriously, Beijing

After years of failing to take the disease seriously, Beijing has become a late convert to the cause of HIV/Aids education, prevention and treatment.
    In recent months health authorities have stepped up plans to distribute free condoms, promote needle exchanges, provide free antiretroviral drugs to patients and boost Aids awareness through education campaigns. Yet, Beijing had better be ready for an epic battle if it is to prevent a full-scale crisis. Already, more than 200,000 people have died of Aids in China and a further 840,000 axe living with HIV/Aids. The UN warns that, unchecked, the disease could claim 10 million victims by 2010.
    The world’s first HIV case was discovered in America in 1981. Four years later, China discovered its first HIV case. However, long after that, ignorance about how the disease is transmitted remains widespread. Disseminating knowledge of how HIV is transmitted and finding ways to cheaply distribute antiretroviral drugs for infected patients are among tasks facing health authorities, who are now applied to preventing an oncoming disaster.
    Although China is coming late to the Aids war, it can benefit from the experience of other countries and it can also benefit from the increased global funding and willingness to share expertise that is available today. Therefore, we have a good reason to believe that China will eventually succeed in its effort to restrain the spread of Aids.