Govt, PM blasted for 'low interest' in Aids prevention

By Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation

Photo by EPA

A health activist yesterday slammed Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for his perceived lack of interest in controlling the spread of HIV and fighting Aids.

"He has the chance to talk about anything on his weekly TV programme, but during the past year he has not said anything related to HIV/Aids that would urge the public to be aware of the disease and prevent it," Nimitr Tien-Udom, director of the Aids Access Foundation, said in an interview to mark World Aids Day today.

Moreover, the budget that supports non-government groups campaigning against Aids has been cut during the past year.

"Global funds are the main financial resources for non-governmental agencies to work on this issue. The government just supplies a small amount of money," he said.

The budget to purchase condoms, use of which could help prevent HIV infection, had also been cut, he said.

To date, more than a million Thais have been infected with HIV since the first case was reported in 1984, and two-thirds of these - 644,128 people - have died of Aids.

This year there have been 10,853 new HIV infections among adults and children. Homosexual men remain the group most affected by the virus.

To curb the spread of Aids throughout the country, the National Health Security Office (NHSO) has approved Bt500 million to support health programmes for HIV infections. But only Bt80 million was been allocated to support the major campaign to stop the spread of Aids, Nimitr said.

Even though the NHSO has set up an extra fund to support the HIV/Aids programme, this money would only be allocated for medical treatment for people already living with HIV. It did not include a prevention programme.

"The NHSO should revise its role in the HIV/Aids prevention scheme, as it has focused only treatment," he said.

Meanwhile, Department of Disease Control deputy chief Dr Somsak Akkasilp said Thailand had been lauded by the international community for its success in controlling Aids over the past 30 years but the department still lacked the funds to support its prevention plan.

To date, the department has received more than Bt150 million to fight against HIV/Aids from global funds and the government. About Bt100 million came from global funds.

"We need Bt200 million more to support our work to control and prevent HIV infections," he said.

The department will next year focus on medical services to provide voluntary blood tests and counsellors to people who most at risk of spreading and contracting HIV, including men who have sex with men, youths, migrants and sex workers.

Moreover, the department will focus on sex education in schools to teach teenagers how to prevent HIV infection and unwanted pregnancy.

However, Areerat Uam-Im, of the Network of Thai Women Living with HIV/Aids, said the Aids-related stigma continued to be a barrier to HIV prevention and care in rural areas. That was because most people, especially the elderly, did not understand about the disease and how to prevent infections.

"They were informed that people die after they are infected with HIV. This is why some people living with HIV can no longer live in their villages and need to move to another place," she said. "Some people do not even want to drink water from the same glass with them."

-- The Nation 2010-12-01

I love the way these do-gooders keep rearing their heads to gain attention to their plight. Rather than entering slander and libel matches against the PM, why not meet with the Minister responsible and set a program of suggestions in place and work with the Govt. Unless of course he is Red - the colour of the AIDS ribbon.

I doubt that many over the age of 15 years are not aware of HIV and AIDS.  I see the problem concerning the spreading of the disease is down to feckless behaviour and refusal to take precautions. A dearth of doctors who know what they are doing to treat patients in a suitable way does not help matters.

I love the way these do-gooders keep rearing their heads to gain attention to their plight. Rather than entering slander and libel matches against the PM, why not meet with the Minister responsible and set a program of suggestions in place and work with the Govt. Unless of course he is Red - the colour of the AIDS ribbon.

You are rite

I strongly believe these so called do gooder's if they were to cut themselves and get blood on there shirts they would not be able to see it.

Just another excuse to attack and divide instead of work together and solve problems.

As if HIV was a secret.:jap:

35 people get HIV each day

Each day, up to 35 more people have come down with HIV on average and Aids has now accounted for one-thirds of deaths among Thai youth.

"Our campaign will seek to reduce the number of new infections," Prof Dr Chuanchom Sakondhavat yesterday said as the director of Khon Kaen University's Aids Institute.

She was speaking at an event held to mark the World Aids Day, which falls on December 1 every year.

According to her, about 14,000 people caught HIV in 2006. Her institute, therefore, has drawn up a four-year strategy to try to cut the number of infections to just 7,000 a year by 2011.

-- The Nation 2010-12-01

his perceived lack of interest in controlling the spread of HIV and fighting Aids...

This is of course 'their perception', since I guess they didn't get any face time,

or direct comments aimed their way. He has said many things on the subject,

but not in they way they want him to, I imagine their is much on his plate besides this...

And seconded to the suggestion they actually deal with the minister in charge of the problem.

Which is called delegation of authority, and the working with in that chain of command,

since any PM can not directly address all subjects for all people.

I wonder why there are no recent figures... 2006 is some time ago... Education in Schools and for the General Public, with strong concentration on the sex service industry and the grey zone, the "Karoke" and "Massage" Shops, there is much, much to be done!

There is a wide spread belief that Condoms are for sexual intercourse, to prevent unwanted pregnancies only, felatio is not considered to be dangerous!

A health activist yesterday slammed Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for his perceived lack of interest in controlling the spread of HIV and fighting Aids.

"He has the chance to talk about anything on his weekly TV programme, but during the past year he has not said anything related to HIV/Aids that would urge the public to be aware of the disease and prevent it," Nimitr Tien-Udom, director of the Aids Access Foundation, said in an interview to mark World Aids Day today.

The International Red Cross came forward with a similar statement:

"Red Cross scolds 'failed' HIV policy among nations"

^^ thats a headline from a AP article, republished on many different News websites. Meanwhile the article says nothing about the specific situation in Thailand it comes with a funny photo and eye catcher. If you put that headline into google and search for images you will be amazed. The search result beats the accusation that the PM does not enough PR work.

AP – Thailand's Prime Miniter Abhisit Vejjajiva wears a hat

made of condoms as he takes part in an anti-HIV/AIDS campaign

ahead of World AIDS Day, which falls on Dec. 1, at Parliament

in Bangkok on Thursday Nov. 25, 2010

It is unfortunate, that some people dismissing these "do-gooders" cannot see the reality.

I have maintained the same position in each of the HIV threads over the past year. It is also a view shared by the foundations that fund many of the projects. It is frustrating for these groups that provide millions of dollars that the prevention and testing programs have been cutback in favour of dispensing pills. Thailand favours short term results vs. long term cost effective action.

These "do gooders" are condescendinly dismissed. However, these are the people that usually shoulder the burden of caring for the sick and that intervene to stop carriers from spreading the disease. I suggest some people stop and consider the following;

- Reduced intervention and testing means that there are more undiagnosed carriers walking around Koh samui, Phuket, Pattaya etc. spreading the disease.

- The groups that have funded the most effective projects in terms of public health results will say good bye and move on to places where the investments provide more benefit. What happens if the Clinton Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and various U.S. government agencies scale back funding?

- Dispensing pills and more pills will create super resistant strains that will be untreatable.

Dismiss the concerns all you want, but Thailand is sowing the seeds of a new health crisis.

Thailand must use the tried and tested made in Thailand strategy that brought the problem under control 15 years ago. Playing the numbers game is short sighted and is a return to the culture of denial that cost Thailand dearly in the early 1990s. The current strategy is typical of the approach that made some antibiotics useless because of inappropriate dispensing.

Oh, and to anyone that says, go and talk to the PM or the health minister, it's been done. Waste of time. Just ask some of Thailand's CMOs and major public health funders. It's like a visit to Cuba or China back in the 1990's. No, no problem now.

You may be shocked to know that the concern over the current strategy is shared by the former Thai officials that saved Thailand back in the 1990s. They were a conservative group and hardly redshirts.This isn't about Redshirts. It's about a bunch of bean counters not listening to the experienced older people. It's the government that is playing fast and loose while the old hands are urging a conservative approach.

It is unfortunate, that some people dismissing these "do-gooders" cannot see the reality.

I have maintained the same position in each of the HIV threads over the past year. It is also a view shared by the foundations that fund many of the projects. It is frustrating for these groups that provide millions of dollars that the prevention and testing programs have been cutback in favour of dispensing pills. Thailand favours short term results vs. long term cost effective action.

These "do gooders" are condescendinly dismissed. However, these are the people that usually shoulder the burden of caring for the sick and that intervene to stop carriers from spreading the disease. I suggest some people stop and consider the following;

- Reduced intervention and testing means that there are more undiagnosed carriers walking around Koh samui, Phuket, Pattaya etc. spreading the disease.

- The groups that have funded the most effective projects in terms of public health results will say good bye and move on to places where the investments provide more benefit. What happens if the Clinton Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and various U.S. government agencies scale back funding?

- Dispensing pills and more pills will create super resistant strains that will be untreatable.

Dismiss the concerns all you want, but Thailand is sowing the seeds of a new health crisis.

Thailand must use the tried and tested made in Thailand strategy that brought the problem under control 15 years ago. Playing the numbers game is short sighted and is a return to the culture of denial that cost Thailand dearly in the early 1990s. The current strategy is typical of the approach that made some antibiotics useless because of inappropriate dispensing.

Oh, and to anyone that says, go and talk to the PM or the health minister, it's been done. Waste of time. Just ask some of Thailand's CMOs and major public health funders. It's like a visit to Cuba or China back in the 1990's. No, no problem now.

You may be shocked to know that the concern over the current strategy is shared by the former Thai officials that saved Thailand back in the 1990s. They were a conservative group and hardly redshirts.This isn't about Redshirts. It's about a bunch of bean counters not listening to the experienced older people. It's the government that is playing fast and loose while the old hands are urging a conservative approach.

The biggest growth in aids in the USA is in the gay community among gay men. I am not surprised it is the same in Thailand.

PC or not, the reason is that gay men like to have sex without condoms. They also tend to be much more into multiple partners (sorry, but it's only common sense that a man, gay or not, tends to wander; two men just makes it worst and yes I am a man and I know this from my own weaknesses).

The education should really be directed thru lower cost more effecient channels like talking to and working with the monks and leaders of the villages and thru the schools' teachers. Some person coming from an NGO is going to have an air of propoganda and people are not going to trust them as much...I can say that is the view of kids in the US when some AIDs group came thru too....you get the message across with the people that people trust.

And giving out condoms is pretty counter-productive. Let those who need it get them, otherwise it's just going to be taken as a freebee by people who would buy them otherwise..

Finally, those that won't use them, like certain gay men and certain nutter whoremongers/HIV deniers will always keeping infecting people and themselves......so at some point, this so-called pill pushing is needed. I am almost sure there are infected people who could use that prevention money more since they are actually going to die if they don't get their meds.

Lastly, Thailand did a lot for AIDs and cancer and etc. when a past administration's minister of health managed to find a clause in the WTO that allowed Thailand to produce generics of still protected drug brands. It only costs 2000k baht per month for the AIDs cocktail with generics (older stuff) and 4000k baht for the brand names (and the new stuff). That is reasonable for upper class, some middle class, and foreigners needing treatment in Thailand....and those are costs for a high end international hospital in Thailand. HOWEVER, I am sure the prevention money would do much more good for poor Thais who can't even afford the generics thru a govt hospital, as opposed to paying for the travel costs of AIDs speakers and their slew of free condoms.

Just the opinion of someone that has actually seen someone close to me infected. All the education in the world could not have stopped my friend from getting infected, and the acceptance issue will never happen until the local rural leaders talk to their people (monks, teachers, village leaders). Talking at villagers with some student or academic type from Bangkok won't work.

I wonder why there are no recent figures... 2006 is some time ago... Education in Schools and for the General Public, with strong concentration on the sex service industry and the grey zone, the "Karoke" and "Massage" Shops, there is much, much to be done!

There is a wide spread belief that Condoms are for sexual intercourse, to prevent unwanted pregnancies only, felatio is not considered to be dangerous!

I have always found it bizarre that in porn flicks a condom might be used during the act, but never when the man is performing oral....

In the US. It is a criminal offense if a suspect apprehended, spits on arresting officer's face. There is a reason for that. Its to protect the officer from infection. 1+1=2

people at almost any age can access porn, and what they see, they will copy. Also seldom mentioned, is the idiom, Alcohol causes STD's. When one drinks, one's inibitions deminish, along with fear of consequences. There is a lot lacking in the educational system here.

"He has the chance to talk about anything on his weekly TV programme, but during the past year he has not said anything related to HIV/Aids that would urge the public to be aware of the disease and prevent it," Nimitr Tien-Udom, director of the Aids Access Foundation, said in an interview to mark World Aids Day today.

Nimitr Tien-Udom, what in hell do you mean that the PM needs to say something about AIDS and HIV????

It has been around since 1984!!!

ABAC is always putting out poll results about how well informed the Thai people are.

The Thai people are reminding me every day how smart and thoughtful and so much better they are than I!

What could the PM possibly say that is going to steer a stampeding statistic in the opposite direction?

What could the PM possibly say that would make Thai people be honest and do the right thing?

Don't you know that the Thai people already know about HIV and AIDS, and these results are nothing more than the consequences of their decisions?

Can't you just give your countrymen a bit more credit than that, and behave like a proper Thai, and accept their personal choices?

It's the Age of Rights!!! Everyone has rights!!! Bwaaaa ha ha haaaa!

Perhaps the PM, in common, no doubt, with many others, thinks it's time other diseases received their fair share of attention.