Flashermac Posted January 3, 2006 Report Share Posted January 3, 2006 THE NATION 2 January 2006 CHEAP HIV DRUGS: Plunge in Aids deaths in 2005 Published on January 03, 2006 Greater access to anti-retroviral drugs cuts toll by two thirds; 24 million condoms to be handed out. The number of people with HIV who developed full-blown Aids last year fell dramatically while the number of deaths linked to HIV/Aids dropped by more than two thirds, the Public Health Ministry said yesterday. The considerable drop in both Aids sickness and deaths was attributed to government provision of anti-retroviral treatments, which was elevated to blanket coverage of the population and now covers 80,000 HIV-positive patients nationwide, said Dr Thawat Suntharacharn, director-general of the Disease Control Department. At the end of 2005, the number of deaths associated with HIV/Aids was 1,640 compared with 5,020 reported at the end of 2004, according to the official figures published on the DCD's website. The number of HIV-positive people developing full-blown Aids was only 8,681 compared with 13,364 reported in 2004. The Public Health Ministry organised a trial of anti-retroviral treatments for Thais in 2004. The ministry also plans to give out about 24 million condoms this year to further reduce the rate of new HIV infections. About 18,000 new cases were reported over the past year. The ministry aimed to cut the number of new infections by 10 per cent this year by providing condoms to high-risk groups and expanding its programme to prevent mother-to-child transmission, Public Health Minister Pinij Charusombat said. About 4,500 more condom-vending machines would be installed nationwide to increase public access to them, Dr Thawat said. Pinij said the HIV-prevention plans would be customised to suit different risk factors in each province. Provinces with a lot of tourism, for example, would need a different strategy given different patterns of transmission. Unsafe sexual practices among teenagers and men who have sex with men accounted for the majority of the new HIV infections over the past year, Thawat said. Drug addicts, factory workers and sex workers were listed as high-risk groups to receive free condoms under the programme, he said. Thawat attributed the decrease in the number of people dying of HIV/Aids to better coverage of life-saving anti-retroviral medications, which also became available under the Bt30 healthcare scheme from October last year. And many people with HIV were already part of a pilot project to receive free or subsidised anti-retroviral drugs. But, he said, there was still room for improvement in the treatment and care of HIV/Aids patients. Citing an example, Pinij said his ministry planned to increase the number of clinics specifically for men who have sex with men, called "Chai Rak Chai" (Men Who Love Men) clinics, to give them better healthcare and counselling services, particularly in large cities, such as Chiang Mai and Phuket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaiLuk Posted January 3, 2006 Report Share Posted January 3, 2006 >>Drug addicts, factory workers and sex workers were listed as high-risk groups << Factory work high risk? Posters in the Rx forum say BGs could/should work a factory job. Wonder how much the gov pays for their anti-retro viral program. If they violate patents and make their own, then maybe not too much??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simie Posted January 3, 2006 Report Share Posted January 3, 2006 "Installing 4,500 condom vending machines" Don't i seem to remember a couple of years back the Interior Minister going around ripping out condom machines?!! Now the health minister is putting them back :: Simie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted January 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 Working at cross purposes is typical of the Thai bureaucracy. e.g. About the time as the government announced the retirement visas to attract retirees here, the Bank of Thailand decided that no one would be allowed to open a bank account without a work permit. Someone with an IQ over 80 pointed out to the Bank that retirees don't work and thus cannot get a work permit, so how were they supposed to deposit the required amount in a bank? The Bank of Thailand quickly backed down, although many bank branches are demanding a work permit even now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gummigut Posted January 4, 2006 Report Share Posted January 4, 2006 Factory workers are largely migratory workers. The turnover is fast and furious. One of the main reasons why many of the operations are setup with extremely long shifts of menial tasks. Easy to train and get the most out of them while you have them. Thus these tend to be high risk workers. But if one is diligent, and willing to put in the time, it's not hard to become a trainer (better hours better pay) and then a foreman (better hours and much better pay). Just very very few are willing to do that. As for the whole aids thing, I understand many deaths in the country side are labeled anything other than AIDS to avoid the stigmatism. So these numbers are easily massaged. Who knows what the truth is <<burp>> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted January 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 The winner of one of the early Nanapong dance contests went to a Thai MD in Pattaya and was told she was HIV positive. The poor gal was convinced she was not long for this world. But the guys liked her enough to send her to Bamrungrad for a proper check up. Turned out she was diabetic -- not something you want to be, but a helluva lot better than Aids! The Pattaya doc had just figured that since she was a BG, it must be HIV. So much for the accuracy of Thai physicians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 Installing 4,500 condom vending machines" Don't i seem to remember a couple of years back the Interior Minister going around ripping out condom machines?!! Now the health minister is putting them back maybe they are his machines ( money money) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted January 5, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 I remember when my Thai neighbour upcountry used to wash his condoms, hang them on the clothes line and use them over again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jitagawn Posted January 5, 2006 Report Share Posted January 5, 2006 FM- No... Really? Pood len mai krap? Amazing Thailand. :: No shit... sometimes I dont log on for ages and then I sift through this site just to read your posts... Classic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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