Over the past three years, Taiwan has seen a massive increase in HIV infections, with an average of 8.2 people now found HIV-positive every day. To fight against a looming AIDS storm, Taiwan may conduct its own AIDS vaccine research and development, AIDS prevention groups said.
"The number of people with HIV/AIDS in Taiwan has jumped seven-fold compared with 2003 figures. We have to search for solutions to rein in the spread of AIDS, and I think vaccine development is a good direction," said Kuo Shu-sung (郭旭崧), director of the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
According to Kuo, HIV/AIDS human vaccine development could be a good strategy in the AIDS fight, despite concerns from human rights advocates who object to experimenting with untested vaccines on humans. World-renowned Taiwanese-American AIDS researcher David Ho (
Kuo made the remarks at the 22nd Candlelight Memorial Service, the world's largest grassroots event honoring the memory of people who have died of AIDS, showing support for those living with HIV/AIDS and raising community awareness in the fight against the disease.
Under the theme "Turning Remembrance into Action," Taiwan joined over 90 countries from around the world to call for action in the fight against the global AIDS epidemic through a candlelight ceremony held in Taipei on Friday night.
Since 1983, AIDS has claimed more than 26 million lives, with more than 40 million people around the world now living with the disease.
In Taiwan, more than 8,500 people were infected with HIV as of last month, and the number is expected to increase 20 percent next year. By the year 2010, the estimated number of infected people could soar to 13,258, according to CDC statistics.
Drug abuse has emerged as the driving force behind the spread of AIDS in Taiwan in recent years. Statistics from the CDC showed that there were 544 intravenous drug users infected with HIV last year alone.
To combat the spread of HIV via drug use, a new program was launched earlier this year under the CDC's supervision and is designed to wean addicts off heroin by substituting buprenorphine, a less addictive opiate.
Sister Teresa Hsieh (
"While the program provides a good solution to the problem of drug addicts with HIV, I think the government should prepare participating clinics with counseling and psychological therapy services for those patients," she said.
Chen Yi-ming (
Kuo said that although the contact with Ho is still in the initial stage, human vaccine development could be a new hope in the fight against AIDS.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
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