The reported cases of people positive to HIV has remained on a small downturn trend since 2019, while the overall prevalence of HIV/AIDS remains low in the city, the Shanghai Health Commission said on Sunday, World AIDS Day.
Shanghai reported 1,282 people infected with HIV by November 20 this year, dropping by 12 percent from 2023.
There were 547 patients with AIDS, and 181 AIDS deaths reported so far this year. There has been no mother-to-infant infection for a consecutive 15 years.
Sex is still the major transmission vehicle of HIV in the city, as 96.3 percent of reported cases are related to sex. Males who have sex with males covers 52.1 percent of sex-related infections, the commission said.
People visiting medical facilities and voluntary counseling and testing clinics is a major pathway for HIV/AIDS detection.
Since the first HIV/AIDS case in Shanghai in 1987, the city reported 32,349 HIV/AIDS cases, including 11,198 AIDS patients, and 3,173 associated deaths.
Prevention and control
Shanghai has stepped up health education on HIV/AIDS prevention and control. High-quality and comprehensive interventions such as the promotion of condom use has been widely adopted in entertainment venues, hotels, universities, employee apartments, public bathrooms and other facilities.
Medical capabilities for virus testing has been enhanced and a preventative health-care network before and after possible HIV/AIDS exposure has been established in local designated hospitals, public hospitals and neighborhood health centers.
The medical facilities offering service for HIV pre-and post-exposure prophylasix has increased from seven in five districts last year to 28 in 14 districts this year.
Tongji University Hospital is the nation's first hospital to set up such a service at a university, offering more convenient and effective intervention and health care.
All 16 districts have extended service hours for HIV voluntary counseling and testing.
By October, the city offered more than five million HIV tests this year, rising by 9.8 percent from last year. There are also some 140 self-testing kit distribution spots in medical facilities, universities, office building, employee apartments and economic zones around the city.
A better HIV carrier and AIDS patient management network has been established for whole-process administration and care.
More than 90 percent of the carriers and patients have regular visits and treatment, while HIV carriers under management within 30 days upon report has increased from 76 percent to 83 percent.
This meets the requirement of a national role model for HIV/AIDS comprehensive prevention and control, the commission said.
