An unprecedented increase in income inequality has directly fuelled the spread of HIV/AIDS. This is
because it has caused large-scale migration and led to a boom in the commercial sex industry. This
paper, among other things, provides new evidence to show how migrants may be spreading HIV.
Perhaps most importantly, it shows that many migrants originate from regions with the highest HIV
prevalence rates. It also explores how migrants are more likely to engage in risky behaviour, thus
increasing their own susceptibility and chances of onward transmission. This is particularly true of
female migrants
Conventional metrics of economic activity, such as GDP growth, do not capture changes in income
inequality, externalities or the development of the informal sector. These omissions, however, are all of
central importance to understanding the rapidly unfolding HIV/AIDS epidemic in China. Policy makers
have been widely criticised for focussing solely on conventional measurements of economic activity as
an indicator of positive development. In response the new Chinese leadership developed what they call
the ‘scientific concept of development’. This broader idea of development provides greater insights into
the causes of the HIV/AIDS epidemic as well as giving reason to address it. The ‘concept’, while
welcomed, must now be applied via more concrete policy action if its true value is to be realised.