BEIJING - The State Council, China's cabinet, pledged Monday to step up screening for HIV-AIDS while improving the public's knowledge of the disease and working harder to protect those at risk of infection.

Related readings:  Raising awareness for AIDS prevention  Absolute Distance brings you closer to AIDS  AIDS: delaying treatment has health and financial costs  China pledges more efforts to control AIDS  China panda baby boom aids against extinction

The government will expand its monitoring network to detect as many HIV-positive people as possible, a statement issued after a State Council executive meeting presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao said.

World AIDS Day falls on Wednesday.

The government will promote the application of fast HIV-infection detection methods at the grass-roots level, the statement said without elaborating.

To curb mother-to-child transmission, the government will continue to provide free tests for HIV-AIDS and syphilis for expectant mothers, the statement said.

More intervention programs targeting at-risk populations, including drug addicts and people with sexually transmitted diseases, will be implemented, the statement said.

To control the spread of HIV-AIDS among drug-addicts, the government will work to build a comprehensive intervention network comprised of forced rehabilitation, community correction, and medical treatment.

The authorities will also step up campaigns against drug trafficking and prostitution, the statement said.

The government will add more HIV-AIDS medicines to basic medical insurance to ease the financial burden on HIV-AIDS patients while also boosting the use of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of HIV-AIDS, it said.

The government will also work to improve the management of blood products and strive to eliminate discrimination against HIV-positive people, AIDS patients and their family members.

It will also raise public awareness of HIV-AIDS, especially among middle school and college students, the document said.