The center, called "home aids", is run jointly by the Yunnan Red Cross and the Hong Kong and Macao Salvation Army. The Australian Agency for International Development has provided 300,000 yuan (US$36,000) to start the project.

The center aims to provide AIDS patients with a range of consultancy services, spread information on prevention and treatment of the disease, and promote cooperation among government, medical and AIDS agencies.

The center offers an around-the-clock consultancy service via the telephone number 0871-3633337 and a website at http//:www.homeaids.org.

"We have received several hundred calls asking the best way to fight AIDS," said He Huilin, center director.

According to official statistics, the number of new HIV/AIDS patients worldwide reached 5 million in 2001, of whom 800,000 were under the age of 15. Among the 40 million HIV/AIDS patients worldwide at present, 18.5 million are women and 3 million are children.

(Xinhua News Agency October 9, 2002)