The latest official figures show the AIDS transmission pattern in China has changed.

In this country, AIDS is no longer an epidemic that preys mainly on high-risk groups such as drug users.

Now half of new victims catch the virus through sexual contact, which is facilitating the spread of the disease from high-risk groups to the general population.

But the public's knowledge of AIDS remains dangerously limited.

The country is now in urgent need of more awareness campaigns and education programmes that can effectively reach every corner of this vast land.

It is also essential to make educational programmes regular, instead of merely one-off matters.

People no longer believe AIDS to be a disease from overseas. But many are still not aware of the dangers of the killer, which has the potential to affect everybody everywhere.

The government has made efforts to educate the public. Posters promoting AIDS awareness and the use of condoms have appeared in public places such as subway cars in big cities.

But much more still needs to be done.

It is not an easy task in a country with a population of 1.3 billion, with a significant portion always on the move.

But the country's efficiency in educating people during the SARS epidemic of 2003 indicates that to make information widely known is far from a mission impossible.

If preventative measures are in place, AIDS can be avoided more easily than SARS.

The point is, how can we present messages about safety and ensure they are taken onboard?

As in many places in the world, education about AIDS can be tricky because it is related to sex.

For example, promoting the use of condoms remains a tough job thanks to conservative attitudes towards sex.

Educating young people about safety is an even more contentious matter.

But when people are made fully aware of the situation, almost everyone, including parents and teachers, will surely come to realize educating children is reasonable.

In a country with a strong government, officials' awareness is particularly important.

At the moment, it is crucial that top officials at each level of government realize the threat posed by AIDS.

The number of infections is low now, but ineffective control could eventually lead to an explosive spread, causing huge human losses and exerting a devastating pressure on economic and social development.

Top officials have the power to mobilize resources to educate people.

The central government has started to train county-level officials in AIDS knowledge to make sure the organizers of information programmes know what they are talking about.

The latest findings show China has overestimated the number of AIDS cases within its borders.

But this is not the time for complacency.

If the public still does not take the threat seriously, the phantom of AIDS may well manifest itself as a disaster.

(China Daily February 5, 2006)