Aids In Thailand, How Bad Is It ?

[Suzy]

A girl I know here has been HIV positive for 4 years. Her CD4 count is now higher than ever before because she is receiving the correct ARV medicines for the princely sum of 30 Baht a month. Previously, it had been 3,000 Baht.

I just hope Mr T dosn't sign the trade agreement with the US that would prohibit Thailand from manufacturing these drugs at a fraction of the cost the West demands.

He should also remember his opening address at last year's HIV/AIDS summit in Bangkok when he announced his intention to make these drugs free to all who needed them.

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Sua Yai - someone in my wifes family contracted HIV off her policeman husband whilst pregnant (nice guy).

I'm helping out with medicine - better than adopting the 2 kids - how do we know she's getting the right stuff here in Thailand ? She's getting pills every month - her health & weight are up & down, some skin rashes - not sure if these are sides off HIV medication or if this is the HIV because medication isn't right.

Is there some way to ID the medication or is there a particular place here in Bangkok you'd recommend for treatment....

Cheers

Pete

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ARV drugs on the 30 Baht medical scheme should not be regarded as the 'be all and end all'. They are only a temporary relief to the problem. For a start they are generic and do not have the potency of the real macoy. For many HIV patients one or two years will see the body rejecting these drugs. Reliable imported alternatives are available but not for 30 Baht. The very best of ARV drugs are not available in Thailand, imported or generic.

As for returning to sexual practices without protection, that doctor should be struck off the list for such a suggestion.

Protection is imperative as is the necessity to refrain from certain oral indulgencies.

Thailand desperately needs a centre that specialises in the HIV problem and is staffed by intellectual, educated and experienced personnel. Something that is not liable to happen in the foreseeable future, despite Toxin's promo speeches and false political promises.

[austen]

HIV is man made!

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Really...could you please tell me who invented it? Was it the same guy who invented cancer? Because if it was, we should really take him out back and beat the sh*t out of him...

[Digger]

ARV drugs on the 30 Baht medical scheme should not be regarded as the 'be all and end all'. They are only a temporary relief to the problem. For a start they are generic and do not have the potency of the real macoy. For many HIV patients one or two years will see the body rejecting these drugs. Reliable imported alternatives are available but not for 30 Baht. The very best of ARV drugs are not available in Thailand, imported or generic.

Thailand desperately needs a centre that specialises in the HIV problem and is staffed by intellectual, educated and experienced personnel. Something that is not liable to happen in the foreseeable future, despite Toxin's promo speeches and false political promises.

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Suzy, thats quite an acusation that generic medicines are not as potent as the real macoy. How do you reach that conclusion? I have not seen any reports of the generics in Thailand not being as potent as the 'real macoy' in the same way I have not seen any reports saying that the GSK factories in for example Australia make AZT in a different way to GSK in the UK or USA.

There is still a way to go on drug availability for sure, but as I understand it its more to do with the manufacturers than anybody in Thailand blocking the way. For example, GSK (Glaxosmithkline) have their full range of medicines here in both imported and sometimes generic forms, as do Bristol Myers Squib and Merck. These companies already had extensive operations in Thailand covering wide range of other medicines. Biggest gap is for tenofivir as a first line treatment option but dont forget the average Thai population has not yet experienced much treatment failure as they have only been widely available in last 2-3 years. Anybody infected with HIV in Thailand say 15-20 yrs ago is likely to be already dead, unlike in say the UK or USA - which in itself need to develop new products to handle the resistant strains that can develop.

Not to say your comments are misguided, but you really need to understand how things work here and where Thailand has come from on this in last 2-3 years.