CRC/C/CHN/CO/2 page 13 65. The Committee recommends that in all areas under its jurisdiction, the State party pay close attention to adolescent health and the provision of appropriate adolescent health services, taking into account its general comment No. 4 (2003) on adolescent health and development in the context of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and strengthen its efforts to promote adolescent health, including by providing sexual and reproductive health education in schools, and to introduce school health services, including youth-sensitive and confidential counselling and care. Mental health 66. The Committee appreciates the measures taken by the State party in the Hong Kong SAR to address the high number of suicides among the youth. It remains concerned about the lack of data and information on mental health services available for children on the mainland and the Macau SAR, and on tobacco, alcohol and drug abuse. 67. The Committee recommends that in all areas under its jurisdiction, the State party expand preventive and therapeutic mental health services for adolescents and develop programmes to decrease tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption and drug abuse among adolescents, in particular through the development of campaigns specifically designed for adolescents on health-behavioural choices and life skills. It further recommends that in the Hong Kong SAR, the State party continue to strengthen its efforts to prevent suicide among the youth. HIV/AIDS 68. The Committee welcomes the development of policies and programmes for children infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS in mainland China. Yet, the Committee is concerned that the implementation of these policies and programmes is insufficient. 69. The Committee recommends that the State party strengthen its implementation of policies and programmes for children infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS on the mainland by: (a) Increasing the financial resources allocated to these programmes; (b) Strengthening cooperation with local authorities to ensure that they are adequately trained and equipped to implement programmes and policies in conformity with the best interest principle of the Convention (art. 3); (c) Strengthening public information campaigns to raise awareness about the disease and eliminate discrimination against children with HIV/AIDS, as mentioned in paragraph 32 of these concluding observations. 70. In the light of the Committee’s general comment No. 3 (2003) on HIV/AIDS and the rights of the child and the International Guidelines on HIV/AIDS and Human Rights, the Committee recommends that the State party strengthen its efforts to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS both on the mainland and in the SARs and continue to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS among adolescents, particularly among those belonging to vulnerable groups.

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