Phuket Faces Aids Crisis

[george]

Phuket faces AIDS crisis

PHUKET: -- Thailand's southern tourist resort island of Phuket is home to a worryingly high rate of new HIV cases, being one of the nation's top 10 provinces for AIDS infection, according to the province's chief medical official.

Dr. Wanchai Satyawutiphong told reporters, however, that the government's provision of anti retroviral drugs had led to more people with HIV coming out into the open about their conditions, which would help prevent future infection.

Stressing that AIDS is a preventable disease, he ,nonetheless, pointed to a worryingly high new incident rate of HIV infection on the resort island.

--TNA 2005-05-09