China's health expenses in 2000 increased by seven times compared with 1990, accounting for 5.7 percent of its gross domestic product that year.

"But the percentage, much lower than an average 8.5 percent spent in developed countries, made it difficult to meet the growing demand for health care," said Han Qide, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

"More money is needed for health projects," said Han, who came to Shanghai to attend an international symposium on fostering city images and spirit.

He stressed that public health is closely related to economic development.

His words were echoed by Sergio Spinaci, an expert from the World Health Organization (WHO), who said China's economic reforms have yielded impressive results in development in the past several years.

The forces unleashed by those reforms have brought unintended negative impacts and a growing gap between the rich and the poor.

"As a result, health standards, particularly among the poor have been affected and low public spending on health is considered to be a major reason for the lowered health status of the poor," Spinaci said.

Statistics in the first three months of this year showed that China had 937,237 epidemic patients, a number that is expected to grow, according to Han.

The country has 840,000 people carrying HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, in 31 provinces and municipalities. Of them, 80,000 have been diagnosed AIDS patients.

At present, the country has 120 million Hepatitis B virus carriers including 20 million patients, some of whom will develop liver cancer.

Contagious diseases that are spreading in China include snail fever, venereal disease and pulmonary tuberculosis (TB).

Current active TB patients in China have reached 4.5 million. The country is expected to have 1.3 million new TB patients yearly with 10 percent dying from the disease.

"About 80 percent of the TB patients are in the rural areas and lack money for treatment," he said.

Drug addicts nationwide have risen to 1 million, with most aged 15 to 35.

Spinaci also suggested China should increase spending on the health of the poor.

(China Daily July 23, 2004)