Central China's Henan Province, which has the second highest number of HIV/AIDS cases in the country, set up on Monday a non-governmental AIDS prevention and treatment organization.

The Henan AIDS Prevention and Treatment Association will play an active role in AIDS prevention education and help those infected with the disease, said Huang Wei, chairman of the non-governmental organization.

At the end of 2006, Henan had reported 35,232 HIV cases, the second biggest total after southwest China's Yunnan Province, which had 48,951 cases. The majority of the infections in Henan were caused by illegal or poorly controlled blood trade in the 1990s.

The association will seek domestic and international partners to help with AIDS prevention funding and programs, said Huang, also deputy director of the Henan provincial health department.

The organization has 137 members, including HIV carriers, AID patients, teachers, lawyers, journalists and entrepreneurs.

Some Chinese provinces plagued by AIDS have already established associations for prevention and treatment of both venereal disease and AIDS.

(Xinhua News Agency July 10, 2007)