About 12,800 people afflicted with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) / Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), or the so-called people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), in Yunnan have been receiving traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment since 2005.

The combination of TCM, antiviral therapies, and herbal remedies seemed to be beneficial for the more than 12,800 PLWHA in Yunnan as nearly 40 percent of them gained weight while a substantial fraction also said they suffered fewer colds, authorities said.

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According to the official Xinhua news agency, the TCM project in Yunnan was launched in 2005 with the goal of determining the effects of traditional Chinese medicines to PLWHA.

The pilot project, which combines traditional, herbal, and modern medicines, seeks to suppress the load of the virus that causes HIV/AIDS and boost the PLHWA's immune system.

Based on the data from 1,130 PLWHA in Yunnan before and after the treatment, more than 40 percent showed good development as they started gaining weight while 18 percent said they have fewer colds attack.

According to the Yunnan Academy of Chinese Medicine, TCM treatment can boost the immune system and alleviate symptoms, including fever, diarrhea, and cough.

Official records show that about 575,000 people in China have HIV/AIDS by the end of October last year, with 86,634 of them living in the province of Yunnan.

Last month, the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee started reading the proposed law on TCM, which calls for a wider role of traditional medicine into the country's health care system.

The draft law supports TCM's role in the whole medical system and vowed to expand the traditional medicine's role in dealing with public health incidents and diseases controls and prevention, among others.

TagsChina HIV, China AIDS, Yunnan Aids, TCM, China TCM