Ministry launches ambitious anti-Aids programme

[Admin]

Ministry launches ambitious anti-Aids programme
By The Nation
2011-03-24

The Public Health Ministry and its allies are implementing many measures to achieve the goals of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero Aidsrelated deaths.

"For example, we have provided 16 to 30 hours of sex education to students each year. We have also provided friendly services to people in at risk groups including sex workers and homosexual men," Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said yesterday.

The three targets are in line with the guidelines set by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids.

Aids patients are now receiving medical treatment at an earlier stage to make it easier to maintain their health. Antiretroviral drugs used to be prescribed only after the CD4 cell count dropped below 200, but now the threshold is 350.

Everyone and their families can get free tests for the human immunodeficiency virus twice a year under the universal healthcare, socialsecurity and civilservice medicalcare schemes.

The National Health Security Office's budget for free Aids treatment has been boosted to Bt2.99 billion this year from Bt2.7 billion last year.

"We have also provided free treatment to alien workers suffering from Aids," he said.

"To ensure zero discrimination, we don't allow employers to subject their employees to HIV blood tests before recruitment."

About 1.16 million people were estimated to be HIVpositive last year, of whom 644,000 have died.

The country sees about 10,850 new HIV infections each year, 33 per cent of which are in sexually active homosexual men and 28 per cent in housewives contracting the virus from their husbands or regular sex partners.

Men contracting HIV from spouses accounted for about 10 per cent of the new infections, while men contracting the virus from sex workers also accounted for 10 per cent. Of the new infections, 9 per cent were found in people who injected drugs and 7 per cent in those engaging in casual sex. Sex workers - mostly 15-49 years old - who were infected by male customers were 4 per cent.

The ministry will host a national conference on Aids from March 2931 at Impact Muang Thong Thani with the aim to help prevent the spread of HIV and build public awareness of Aids patients' rights. Some 3,500 people have registered to attend.

[isanbirder]

Thailand had a good record against HIV in the 90s, but it seems to have slackened off a bit.  This new campaign is good news.

[boloa]

I dislike these reports were that say 28%this,10%that  and 10% this......If 100% of people practised safe sex and 100% of drug users didn't share needles then 100% of people wouldn't catch HIV ........!!!
But for those that have HIV it's nice to know that patients are now receiving medical treatment at an earlier stage to make it easier to maintain their health and the Government is spending money on educating the public.!!!

[Admin]

The problem is also funny, at first when the HIV was first found in the early 80's everybody got scared and start practicing safe sex, than all governments around the world wanted to make people calm down and be less stressful and not ban people with HIV (Which I do agree with this approach), more awareness about HIV and the progress of HIV medications led people to believe that HIV is not that bad and it is just like any other chronic disease, therefore, more relaxed and allowing themselves to practice a much less safer sex.

There are many other diseases which you can get by practicing sex without protection, like dieseases that may lead to cancer and Hepatitis B and more......