Describing the Chinese HIV Surveillance System and the Influences of Political Structures and Social Stigma

Zhang, Lei; Fung Chow, Eric Pui; Zhang, Jun; Jing, Jun; Wilson, David P

Effective public health interventions for HIV rely on accurate and timely information on the extent and patterns of *Address correspondence to this author at the CFI Building, Corner of West and Boundary Streets, Darlinghurst, Sydney NSW 2010, Australia; Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone]; E-mail: [e-mail] spread of infection. As such, an efficient and comprehensive population-level surveillance system for describing epidemics trends and risk behaviours associated with HIV acquisition are essential [13] . Previous studies have provided reviews of the current HIV surveillance system in China, mainly from a functional and epidemiological perspective [14] [15] [16] . In contrast, the current review aims to describe the overall strength of the Chinese HIV surveillance system and its structural weaknesses from a political and social perspective.