Chinese hotels asked to make condoms available to cap HIV/AIDS

Beijing: China today ordered the country`s hotels and other public places to make available condoms or condom vending machines by 2015 to check growing number HIV/AIDS cases.

The State Council, or cabinet, in its AIDS Action Plan for the next five years urged comprehensive intervention to prevent HIV/AIDS infection through sex, as it has become the most common transmission channel in the country, state media here reported. The action plan states the ratio for condom use should rise to 90 per cent for those who are "highly vulnerable to HIV infection". The number of intravenous drug users who share needles should decrease by 15 per cent by 2015, it said. The action plan states that condoms or condom vending machines should be available in 95 per cent of the country`s hotels. The plan asks governments at all levels to designate public places where condoms or condom vending machines can be made available, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. China has about 7.80 lakh people living with HIV/AIDS, including 1.54 lakh AIDS patients. PTI