Aids becomes most deadly disease in China

HIV/Aids is now the leading cause of death among infectious diseases in China.

Government figures released through the state media showed that in 2008 HIV/Aids accounted for 6,897 deaths from January to September.

This sees the disease overtake tuberculosis and rabies, which now lie as the second and third most common causes of death.

The Chinese ministry of health confirmed to state news agency Xinhua that there were 264,302 accumulated cases of HIV by the end of September 2008, of which 34,864 have died.

This represents a significant rise since figures released for the same stage in 2005, which show 135,630 accumulated cases and 7,773 deaths.

These government-sanctioned figures contrast to those from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

In 2004, the WHO and UNAids estimated that the number of people under 50 living with HIV/Aids in China was 840,000.

The WHO identifies injecting drug users and sex workers as the groups most at risk from contracting HIV in China.