About 1,000 college students, with red ribbons painted on their faces, gather in Peking University to join a run to promote HIV/AIDS awareness November 28, 2004. The cases of HIV positive and AIDS are on the rise in China, prompting the government to take various measures to check the alarming rising trend. [newsphoto]

Beijing kick-started its anti-AIDS program yesterday by organizing activities to improve the public's awareness of the killer disease.
The events took place ahead of Wednesday's international AIDS day.
Activities included a 5-kilometer run along Chang'an Avenue and a consulting service with 12 medical organizations participating. Brochures titled Act Now were also handed out. It contained speeches from the leaders of Asian countries on combating AIDS.
Beijing launched a three-step campaign to curb the spread of AIDS earlier this year. The initiative included handing out condoms, methadone maintenance therapy and the establishment of an experimental government-funded needle exchange program.