2001

Delegates to do more to help infected: Agencies urged to join forces: Bangkok Post - Satursday, December 22, 2001; Cheewin Sattha; The four-day international conference on Aids came to a close on Thursday with a solemn vow to give care, understanding and respect to people living with HIV/Aids. Around 3,000 people from all over the world took part in the 5th International Conference on Home and Community Care for People Living with HIV/Aids, held i
Over 14,000 pregnant women HIV-positive: Ministry to expand treatment of mothers: Bangkok Post - Saturday, December 22, 2001; Anjira Assavanonda; Between 14,000 and 17,000 pregnant Thai women are HIV-positive, a Public Health Ministry survey has found. The epidemiology survey s result has prompted the ministry to expand its care and treatment of HIV-positive mothers to prolong their lives after they give birth. Dr Siriporn Kanshana, director of the Health Servic
Warning sounded on budgets: Drugs for infections are also in demand: Bangkok Post - Wednesday, December 19, 2001; Cheewin Sattha; An HIV/Aids expert says health authorities cannot afford to spend all their money on anti-HIV/Aids drugs. Drugs were also needed to tackle opportunistic infections which kill people with the disease. If the money is spent on anti-HIV/Aids drugs there won t be enough to buy other drugs. And the number of deaths would in
Call for cheaper medication: Comprehensive care scheme is needed: Bangkok Post - Tuesday 18 December 2001; Cheewin Sattha; HIV/Aids sufferers yesterday called for a cheaper and better care scheme as well as more understanding and respect from other people more fortunate. Prasert Techaboon, representing Thai HIV/Aids patients at yesterday s opening of a four-day international conference on Aids, said that while cheaper care and treatment wo
Vaccines to be combined in trial: Success could bring price down: Bangkok Post - Saturday, December 15, 2001; Anjira Assavanonda; The Public Health Ministry will next year launch its phase III trial of a combination of two HIV vaccines on 16,000 people in Chon Buri and Rayong provinces. Aidsvax, developed by VaxGen company, has been tested in the phase III trial among intravenous drug users in Bangkok. The other vaccine is Alvac, developed by Av
GPO enters deal to make safe syringes: Bangkok Post - Thursday 13 December 2001; Anjira Assavanonda; The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) and an Italian firm will jointly manufacture a safety syringe aimed at protecting health workers from accidental infection. The GPO has signed an investment agreement with Carlyle Capital Investment Corporation (CCIC), which is owned by Italy s Penta Group, a medical equ
Chiang Mai conference to focus on care and support: About 3,000 register for participation: Bangkok Post - December 12, 2001; Anjira Assavanonda; About 3,000 Aids sufferers, health workers and NGOs will meet in Chiang Mai next week to share their experiences and learn new lessons on how to promote living with HIV/Aids and community participation. The Fifth International Conference on Home and Community Care for Persons Living with HIV/Aids, scheduled for Dec 17-
The struggle continues: HIV/Aids is a disaster of global proportions. New figures, released to mark World Aids Day today, show that more than 40 million people are now living with Acquired Immunity Deficiency Syndrome.: Bangkok Post - December 1, 2001; Secretary-General Kofi Annan, United Nations, New York; Every day, more than 8,000 people die of Aids. Every hour, almost 600 people become infected. Every minute, a child dies of the virus. Just as life and death goes on after Sept 11, so must we continue our fight against the HIV/Aids epidemic. Before the terrorist attacks two months ago, tremendous momentum had been achi
EDITORIAL: Absolutely no room for complacency: Bangkok Post - December 1, 2001; The latest United Nations report released ahead of World Aids Day today commends Thailand as a country where strong political leadership and public commitment has helped slash the incidence of HIV. But the vote of praise, from the UNAids/World Health Organisation report, came with the sobering estimate that one in 60 T
30-baht scheme extended to cover anti-retroviral drugs; Pledge comes on eve of World Aids Day: Bangkok Post - December 1, 2001; Anjira Assavanonda; To mark World Aids Day today, the Public Health Ministry has finally extended its 30-baht health care scheme to cover anti-retroviral drugs for HIV/Aids. Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan yesterday made the promise to 1,000 Aids sufferers who gathered in front of Government House. The protesters, who came from 495 groups of
One in 60 Thais has HIV virus; Aids leading cause of death, report says: Bangkok Post - November 29, 2001; Anjira Assavanonda; One in 60 Thais is infected with HIV, and Aids has become the leading cause of death among the population, a UNAids/WHO report says. The 2001 global summary of the Aids/HIV epidemic said transmission between spouses could account for up to 50% of new infections. This was a reminder that targeting high-risk groups was i
30-BAHT HEALTH CARE: Call to include Aids drugs: Bangkok Post - Wednesday 28 November 2001; Civic groups want benefits under the 30-baht health care scheme and the social security fund extended to cover Aids drugs. In a letter to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the Network of Aids-Infected People said hospitals should be able to treat Aids victims properly. The government had promised to include Aids drugs
Victims seek law for better protection: Discrimination abounds in offices: Bangkok Post - November 23, 2001; Anjira Assavanonda; The network of NGOs and HIV/Aids sufferers will push for a law to effectively protect the HIV-positive from compulsory HIV-testing in the workplaces. The alliance discussed the issue yesterday at a workshop for alternatives to help the victims. Supatra Nakhapiew, of the Centre for Aids Rights (CAR), said carriers of th
Including new Aids drugs could prove too costly: Bangkok Post - Thursday 15 November 2001; Anjira Assavanonda; Senior health officials say the government should be wary of the cost of including HIV/Aids treatment in the 30-baht medical scheme. Suwit Wibulpolprasert, deputy health permanent-secretary, said the government should not be rushed into a decision. NGOs and people living with HIV/Aids have demanded the Public Health Mi
NGOs want scheme to cover Aids: Bangkok Post - Wednesday 14 November 2001; Anjira Assavanonda; The Network of NGOs and People Living with HIV/Aids yesterday called for the Public Health Ministry to speed up the inclusion of HIV/Aids treatment in the 30-baht medical scheme. The alliance met Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan yesterday to submit a letter calling for the government to keep its promise given
Infected people still face discrimination: Forum pinpoints problems in society: Bangkok Post - October 29, 2001; Anjira Assavanonda; Despite a national Aids policy prohibiting all forms of discrimination against HIV-infected people, many still have trouble passing a screening process when they apply for work. HIV-testing without the consent of the individual is a violation of human rights, Senator Jon Ungpakorn told a forum on the ethics and prevent
Chinese join Aids herbal experiment: Thai scientists apply for TB-cure patent: Bangkok Post - October 25, 2001; Anjira Assavanonda; The Thai and Chinese governments are collaborating in an experiment on the use of Chinese herbal medicines to treat HIV/Aids. Supachai Kunaratanapruek, the deputy public health permanent secretary, said the first phase had been carried out in China , and the second phase was under way in San Pa Tong district, Chiang Ma
HEALTH: Aids drug cocktails to halve in price; Ingredients will all be made here soon: Bangkok Post - October 19, 2001; Anjira Assavanonda; The price of anti-retroviral Aids drug cocktails will be halved by the end of the year. The drugs are taken in combination with one another, known as cocktail therapy . Up until now, the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation has had to import some of the drugs, boosting the overall price. By the end of the year, all d
Free condoms for workers: City Hall targets sex industry, labourers: Bangkok Post - Saturday 13 October 2001; Ploenpote Atthakor; One million condoms will be handed out free to sex workers and labourers as City Hall steps up its campaign against Aids, senior city officials said yesterday. Deputy Bangkok governor Praphan Kittisin said the project was part of the 100% condom campaign planned for 2002-2007. Apart from the condom campaign, health vol
EDITORIAL: The deadly danger of Aids and drugs: Bangkok Post - October 9, 2001; The greatest threat to Thailand and Southeast Asia is the two-headed Hydra of drugs and Aids. Drug abuse and the killer syndrome are directly linked. As one increases, so does the other. Risky abuse of drugs, particularly the use of shared needles, directly spreads Aids. Drug abusers are far less likely to worry about
FOCUS / AIDS IN BURMA: Out of control - Burma is facing an epidemic that will soon eclipse the worst situation in Africa, according to experts dealing with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.: Bangkok Post - October 6, 2001; Larry Jagan; The tragedy, said an Aids expert in Thailand , is that Burma s military rulers continue to pretend Aids is not a problem. Even the United Nations has acknowledged that Burma is on the brink of an epidemic. According to their figures, 2% of adults have human immuno-deficiency virus or HIV -- and those figures are at lea
Thailand one of three nations reporting low rate of infection: Some countries on brink of epidemic: Bangkok Post - October 5, 2001; Thailand is one of three Asian countries with a low HIV/Aids infection rate, a report by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids revealed. The report was released on the eve of the Sixth International Congress on Aids in Asia and the Pacific in Melbourne. Cambodia ,
TB, Aids may ravage villages on border: Bangkok Post - October 1, 2001; Teerawat Khamthita; Tuberculosis and Aids have emerged as major threats to villagers living along the Thai-Burmese border. Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan said it was increasingly likely these two deadly diseases would quickly spread along the border. The minister on Saturday went to Tachilek in Burma , opposite Mae
EDITORIAL: Continuing denial helps Aids spread: Bangkok Post - Monday, September 10, 2001; The most dangerous attitude towards serious threats is denial. History is studded with examples ranging back to the Trojan horse and beyond. The epidemic of Aids has been made worse by initial denial. We in Thailand have learnt our lesson the hard way. Aids invaded and began to ravage the country as officials and citiz
V-1 IMMUNITOR: Hundreds want pills in spite of warnings: A defiant Salang sticks to his guns: Bangkok Post - August 19, 2001; Witchayan Boonchote; Hundreds of HIV/Aids sufferers from southern provinces yesterday turned up at a sports stadium in Hat Yai for handouts of V-1 Immunitor pills amid objections by the Public Health Ministry and some politicians. Earlier, the ministry announced results of tests showing that V-1 Immunitor was not an Aids cure. Some 200 peo
V-1 IMMUNITOR: Foundation will continue giving drug; Salang not deterred by negative finding: Bangkok Post - Thursday, August 16, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; The Salang Bunnag Foundation says it will continue distributing its claimed Aids cure V-1 Immunitor despite the Health Ministry s conclusion it is ineffective. The foundation s head, Pol Gen Salang Bunnag, said he regarded the ministry s finding as just another piece of paper . The foundation planned to distribute V-1
HIV / AIDS: V-1 drug tests show no effect on blood: Bangkok Post - Wednesday, August 15, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; V-1 Immunitor does not have any significant effect on the blood, viral load and immune system of people with HIV/Aids, the Ministry of Public Health said yesterday. Fifty HIV-positive patients taking the substance have had their health checked since July for any signs of improvement. Ban Bangprakong clinic in Chachoeng
Young victims need love too: Communities urged to lift their spirits: Bangkok Post - August 14, 2001; UNAids has estimated the mortality rate of Aids-infected children in Thailand at 6,000-8,000 per year. The Public Welfare Department and non-governmental organisations were seeking help from grassroots-level administrations and local communities in lifting the spirits of these children. Varalak Chaimuangcheun, a no
Little sufferers awaiting heaven: The number of HIV-infected orphans grows: Bangkok Post - August 14, 2001; Onnucha Hutasingh; In recent months, Ban Wiang Ping Orphanage has lost 10 lives as young as 4-11 years to Aids. The fatal disease brought them together after driving their parents to an early grave. Rejected by the rest of their families and unwelcome in society, these children have found their home away from home . They eat and play tog
HIV/Aids patients besiege stadium for pill hand-outs: Bangkok Post - August 5, 2001; Cheewin Sattha; About 5,000 HIV/Aids sufferers from the northern provinces turned up at the 700th Anniversary stadium yesterday for hand-outs of V-1 Immunitor pills. The number was lower than expected as up to 100,000 pills had been prepared. This would have been enough for 10,000 patients. In the previous hand-outs in Bangkok, HIV/Ai
More study needed for HIV vaccine: Bangkok Post - July 28, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; Further research is needed on Remune, the HIV/Aids therapeutic candidate vaccine being tested in Thailand , UNAids vaccine expert Jose Esparza said yesterday. Only research will answer the question, not political argument or statistical analysis, said Dr Esparza, adding that available data was not good enough to say t
Oxfam slams Pfizer's unfair patent and pricing strategies: Bangkok Post - Jul 23, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; Influential British NGO Oxfam yesterday accused pharmaceutical giant Pfizer of aggressively enforcing patents in poor countries, thereby forcing prices of life-saving drugs beyond the reach of most patients in developing countries. In its latest report entitled Formula for Fairness: patient rights before patent rights
Stigma and prejudice put lesbians at risk; Many too afraid to seek information: Bangkok Post - July 15, 2001; Anjira Assavanonda; Lesbians are more at risk of contracting HIV/Aids because social stigma and prejudice against homosexuality denies them access to information on the disease, support groups say. Amporn Buntan, of the Youth Prevent Aids project in Chiang Mai, told a seminar she found lesbians were more vulnerable to HIV than gay men.
16,000 volunteers are being recruited for vaccine trials Three top firms join forces in its research: Bangkok Post - July 14, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; About 16,000 volunteers from Chon Buri and Rayong will next year begin a trial run of the country s largest Aids prevention vaccine, an Aids seminar was told yesterday. The candidate vaccine, which is a combination of Alvac and Aidsvax, was developed by three firms, Aventis, Vaxgen and Chiron. If successful, the trial
V-1 IMMUNITOR / AIDS: Doctors still bar Aids victims; Blood tests decide if patient gets surgery: Bangkok Post - July 13, 2001; Anjira Assavanonda; Doctors need to change their attitude to treating people with HIV/Aids, a conference was told. Too many doctors were denying infected people a right to equal treatment. Some routinely demanded blood tests as a precaution to themselves and if the results showed the patient was infected, treatment would be denied, delega
HIV/AIDS: Premier offers his full backing to researchers looking for a vaccine; Promises to remove hurdles in their way: Bangkok Post - July 12, 2001; Yuwadee Tunyasiri; Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra says he would remove any obstacles preventing Thai researchers from looking for an Aids vaccine. This would include backing for research on V-1 Immunitor pills, an alleged Aids panacea promoted by the Salang Bunnag Foundation. Conservative officials who did not support innovative resea
HIV/AIDS: Clients, not sex workers, are the problem; Rate of condom use in industry is 95%: Bangkok Post - July 12, 2001; Anjira Assavanonda; Sex workers, though highly vulnerable to HIV/Aids, are not fuelling the spread of the disease as commonly believed, the national Aids conference was told. The issue was highlighted at the meeting of sex workers, NGOs, health specialists and government officials to discuss the complex issue of commercial sex and HIV/Aid
AIDS CONFERENCE: Condom machines for public toilets; Campaign sets target to cut infection rate: Bangkok Post - July 12, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; Condom-dispensing machines will be placed in public toilets, particularly in shopping malls, to help prevent the spread of HIV/Aids among sexually-active youth. Malls and department stores are popular hangouts for youngsters, and will be a prime target of the safe sex campaign, Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan
Youths warned to play hard-to-get: Condoms unpopular outside sex industry: Bangkok Post - July 9, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; The best way to curb the spread of HIV/Aids is to convince young people to delay their first sexual experience for as long as possible, said the director of the Aids Division. Anuphong Chitvarakorn said promoting the use of condoms was not enough to control the spread of the virus, particularly since condoms were not p
Abbot concedes V-1 is not proven to help patients; Sufferers tell stories of life with disease: Bangkok Post - July 7, 2001; Anjira Assavanonda and Anucha Charoenpo; Backing the Salang Bunnag Foundation for developing V-1 Immunitor, the chief abbot of Wat Phra Baat Nam Phu said it was too soon to know whether the substance would yield good or bad results. Phra Alongkot Tikhapanyo, chief abbot of the temple considered to be the country s biggest hospice for HIV/Aids sufferers, said
AIDS / IMMUNITOR: Three panels to study pill's effects; Foundation stocks to run out in 28 days: Bangkok Post - July 6,2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi and Onnucha Hutasingh; A decision on whether V-1 Immunitor, claimed by its inventor to be an Aids cure, deserves further research will be delayed by at least three weeks. The delay was necessary due to the appointment of another special committee to consider the issue, said Dr Somsong Rakphao, head of the Communicable Diseases Control Depart
Plan to include anti-Aids drugs for patients in 30-baht scheme: Decision could be made next week: Bangkok Post - July 5, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; Anti-retroviral drugs for HIV/Aids patients could be included in the 30-baht health scheme after a national Aids gathering next week, Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan said yesterday. The scheme, running in 21 provinces, does not cover the drugs. The gathering is expected to draw 2,300 Aids activists, doctors,
V-1 IMMUNITOR: FDA says 'no' again: Bangkok Post - July 5, 2001; The Food and Drug Administration yesterday again refused to register V-1 Immunitor as a food supplement for HIV/Aids patients, reasoning that equipment used in its production was still short of required standards. Four FDA officials went to the Jirasathaporn Co factory producing the substance in Bang Pakong district of
Sufferers are keen to stand up for themselves: Bangkok Post - July 2, 2001; Anjira Assavanonda; All HIV/Aids sufferers should have the right to make their own decisions no matter how ill they are, particularly regarding medication, a seminar was told. Itthirak Samitsuwan, president of Life and Hope Club, said the best way to tackle the disease was to share experiences and advice with other sufferers. Mr Itthirak
AIDS / V-1 IMMUNITOR: Lack of detail stalls pill's registration; Delay not our fault, says FDA chief: Bangkok Post - June 26, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; A lack of information is holding back an application to register V-1 Immunitor as a food supplement. Manufacturers of the alleged Aids panacea applied to the Food and Drug Administration last week to register the substance. Vichai Chokeviwat, FDA secretary-general, said a lack of detail was frustrating the application.
HIV / AIDS: UN might send funds for research - Pitak to address cash needs in New York: Bangkok Post - June 25, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; Thailand may get financial support to develop vaccines against the Aids virus from the United Nations Global Aids and Health Fund. Pensri Tasnavites, UNAids Media adviser to Thailand, said the country might be included in a list of developing countries to receive funds because of the government s commitment to tackli
FOCUS / THE DEVASTATION OF HIV/AIDS: Spare a thought for Aids parents: Bangkok Post - June 21, 2001; John Knodel, Mark Vanlandingham and Chanpen Saengtienchai; We all feel for the children of parents who succumb to Aids, but what about their grandparents, those who so often must care for the infected while alive and then suffer such great loss when they die? Twenty years after Aids was first recognised in the West and more than a decade after its rapid spread through
HIV / AIDS: Ways sought to champion victims' rights; Wats to be urged to accept them: Bangkok Post - June 21, 2001; Anjira Assavanonda; Aids activists, NGOs and state officials met yesterday to discuss ways to champion the rights of people infected with HIV/Aids to enter the monkhood. A seminar organised by the Centre for Aids Rights (CAR) was told a survey of eight temples in Bangkok and four other provinces had found they all required any person wish
Registration threat is now withdrawn: Hand-outs can carry on, the ministry says: Bangkok Post - June 14, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; Threats to take the Salang Bunnag Foundation to court unless it registers its purported Aids panacea V-1 Immunitor have proved hollow. The Ministry of Public Health yesterday reversed its stance on legal action, a day after Deputy Health Minister Suraphong Suebwonglee averred there would be no political interference i
Twenty years of Aids-and counting: There are millions dead and many more infected, and we are still in the epidemic's opening chapters: Bangkok Post - June 6, 2001; Dr Peter Piot; Exactly 20 years ago yesterday, the first official report of the disease now known as Aids was made in a nine-paragraph report of the US Centers for Disease Control. Five people were affected. No one reading those nine paragraphs could know that they were looking at what would become the most devastating epidemic in hu
PHANUPHONG CASE: US court says Thai boy to remain till 18 to receive proper treatment for HIV: Bangkok Post - June 6, 2001; Achara Ashayagachat and Onnucha Huttasingh; AUS court on Monday decided a four-year-old HIV-infected Thai boy will remain in the United States until he reaches 18, the Thai consulate-general in Los Angeles reported. The San Diego court ruled that Phanuphong Khaisri, or Got, should remain in the US until maturity, to decide on his own whether or not to return to
Editorial: Aids claims life of a young hero: Bangkok Post - June 4, 2001; When Aids claimed its first victims in the early 1980s, much of the attention centred on the celebrities-the artists and movie stars-who succumbed to this new and terrifying disease. Society mourned the loss of such creative, valued talents at the height of their careers. But what of the children who come into the worl
Thousands turn up for free pills: Supplies not enough to meet demand: Bangkok Post - June 3, 2001; Pornsith Pibulanakrintr; Many HIV/Aids patients from around the country turned up at the Thai-Japanese stadium in Din Daeng yesterday to receive V-1 Immunitor pills. Ban Bang Pakong clinic and Salang Bunnag Foundation distributed the pills to thousands of HIV/Aids patients at the stadium free of charge. The foundation prepared 3,000 sets of th
Panel will decide fate of V-1 Immunitor; Report could lead to registration as drug: Bangkok Post - June 2, 2001; Kosol Satithamajit; An official panel could decide the fate of V-1 Immunitor after the government intervened in a dispute between a medical clinic and Aids activists. A joint panel between the Public Health Ministry and the Salang Bunnag Foundation, whose clinic hands out the pills, will look into the drug s effectiveness in treating Aids
Critics of V-1 Immunitor told to prove drug is unsafe; Challenge issued by foundation chairman Salang: Bangkok Post - June 1, 2001; Surasak Tumcharoen; The distributor of the V-1 Immunitor drug has challenged its critics to prove that the drug is unsafe for HIV/Aids patients. The challenge came yesterday from Salang Bunnag, a retired police general who chairs the Salang Bunnag Foundation, which has introduced the V-1 Immunitor drug through its clinic in Chachoengsao p
Clinic urged not to mislead Aids patients: Doubts still about Immunitor pill: Bangkok Post - May 30, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; Aids activists yesterday urged the Salang Bunnag Foundation s Ban Bang Phakong clinic to give accurate information to people with HIV/Aids. Paisal Tan-ud, of the Network for People with HIV/Aids in Thailand , said his group was not against the clinic, but wanted it to provide only accurate information so that HIV/Aids
Clinic faces probe over drug claims: Patients are'misled by exaggerations': Bangkok Post - May 29, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; The Public Health Ministry will investigate the Salang Bunnag Foundation s Ban Bang Phakong clinic in Chachoengsao, for exaggerating the qualities of V-1 Immunitor pills which it is distributing freely to Aids patients. Deputy Public Health Minister Suraphong Suebwonglee said the Medical Registration Division would loo
Free Aids drug to be examined: V-1 pill registered as food supplement: Bangkok Post - May 28, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi and Anit Sanubboon; The Public Health Ministry will run a check on the free distribution of V-1 Immunitor pills to Aids patients at Ban Bang Phakong clinic, to ensure the drug is used for the right purpose. Surapong Suebwonglee, the deputy health minister, has ordered the Medical Science Department s director-general to ensure the pill is
Ministry to handle bulk of B1.5bn fund Overhaul designed to cut duplication: Bangkok Post - May 11, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; A major change in administering the 1.5-billion-baht Aids budget in fiscal 2001 will see the lion s share go to the Public Health Ministry. Although the move is aimed at reducing duplication of work by 42 department of 10 ministries, concerns have been raised over administration of the lump sum. Nimit Thien-udom, direc
HEALTH: Deal made with Glaxo to develop vaccines Aids virus tops list of nation's diseases: Bangkok Post - May 11, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; The Communicable Diseases Control Department yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with Glaxo Smith Kline Biologicals in an effort to jointly develop vaccines to prevent the re-emergence of communicable diseases thought to be under control. Dr Somsong Rakphao, the department s director-general, said the MoU wa
Victims find temple doors shut on them: Some had to cheat to get into monkhood: Bangkok Post - May 10, 2001; Anjira Assavanonda; A temple is supposedly a tranquil place where monks can rest their minds and souls in times of trouble, but people living with HIV/Aids are finding the temple doors shut. Chai, an HIV-positive monk from Uthai Thani, said if he had not presented a fake medical certificate he would not have been allowed into the monkhood
HEALTH: Thailand to help Cambodia screen its blood donations Thai Red Cross will provide assistance: Bangkok Post - May 6, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; The government will provide blood-screening services to help improve the health of Cambodians in ongoing moves to tackle border health problems. In Cambodia, most donors are unscreened for infectious diseases such as HIV/Aids and hepatitis. Kheang Bomith, of the National Blood Transfusion Centre, said money was lacking
Thai Aids plan adopted as UN conference closes: Bangkok Post - April 26, 2001; Achara Ashayagachat; The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific closed its 57th annual session yesterday with a call to prevent the region s Aids problems from reaching African proportions. Thailand s action plan, which included calls for more attention to Aids education and for technical assistance from dev
Early action helped keep worst of Aids at bay: The following is the edited text of a keynote address delivered in Bangkok yesterday by former prime minister Anand Panyarachun at the opening of the 57th session of the UN's Escap.: Bangkok Post - April 24, 2001; I assumed leadership of Thailand at a time when an incurable virus, HIV-leading to a fatal disease, Aids, was running rampant throughout the country. We had to accept the fact that this epidemic had arrived in Thailand and was not going to go away. To deal with the problem, I had to find out the exact situation by dema
Panel wants fund to distribute condoms: Bangkok Post - April 24, 2001; The committee to protect and solve HIV/Aids problems yesterday suggested the government grant 100 million baht as a fund to facilitate the distribution of condoms to people whose behaviour put them at risk of HIV infection. Dr Somsoong Rakpao, head of the Department of Communicable Diseases Control, said although the r
Asia on the brink of Aids crisis: Urgent plan needed to stem the tide: Bangkok Post - April 24, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; Strong political leadership is needed to ensure the HIV/Aids epidemic in Asia does not surpass that of Africa, Escap delegates were told yesterday. Kathleen Cravero, UNAids deputy director-general, said there were signs the virus could escalate in Asia. The 57th Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific s
Editorial: Drug giants bow to health needs: Bangkok Post - April 23, 2001; The international pharmaceutical industry suffered a rare setback on Thursday when it abandoned its challenge to a South African law which allows for the import of brand-name drugs used in the treatment of Aids from nations where they are sold more cheaply. The settlement serves as belated recognition of public health
Symposium on averting Aids at birth: Bangkok Post - April 23, 2001; Thai, American and French experts are discussing new ways to protect babies from Aids infection during pregnancy and at birth. A three-day meeting, called the Third International Symposium on Paediatric Aids in Thailand , is being held in Chiang Mai and will end today. Dr Mongkol na Songkhla, the permanent secretary of
Editorial: A country's right to help heal its people: Bangkok Post - April 21, 2001; A three-year controversy ended on Thursday when the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association of South Africa and 39 international drug companies decided to withdraw unconditionally their application in the Pretoria High Court to stop implementation of a new drug law in the country. After charging that South Africa
Top-line meeting on Aids: Anand, Kaunda to talk to UN delegates: Bangkok Post - April 21, 2001; Former prime minister Anand Panyarachun will on Monday address a special session on Aids as part of the annual session of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. Kenneth Kaunda, former president of Zambia , whose son Masuzgo died of Aids in 1986, will also give a keynote address at the session,
Sharp Aids rise in Phuket: Bangkok Post - April 24, 2001; Achatthaya Cheunniran; The island resort has moved from seventh to third place in a national ranking of provinces with a high number of Aids patients. Statistics gathered by the Public Health Ministry in February found the ratio was 107.5 patients to 100,000 population. Boonriang Chuchaisaengrat, the Phuket health chief, said the infection r
Discussion on effect of Aids on children Talk to be held at FCCT: Bangkok Post - April 4, 2001; The Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT) is hosting a discussion on the growing effect of Aids on children tonight at 8 pm. Speakers include Dr Dean Hirsch, president of World Vision, Senator Jon Ungpakorn, and Robert Bennoun, regional HIV/Aids adviser for Unicef. There will be video clips on children and the
B1.5 billion to be spent on projects: Bangkok Post - April 4, 2000; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi and Yuwadee Tunyasiri; The National Aids Prevention and Control panel has approved a 1.5-billion-baht budget for projects in fiscal 2001. The panel, chaired by the prime minister, cleared requests from 10 ministries for funds which will be further considered by the Budget Bureau, said Dr Somsong Rakpao, director of the Communicable Disease C
Film on Khmer crews to highlight perils Illegal workers risk catching HIV/Aids: Bangkok Post - April 2, 2001; Anjira Assavanonda; The harsh life of Cambodian crews working on Thai trawlers will feature in a new film highlighting the perils of HIV transmission and the prejudice of Thai people towards these workers. The docu-drama No Home Too Far is expected to run for one hour. It will be shown at fishing piers and small villages along the Thai-Ca
Safe sex play staged in jail: Bangkok Post - March 30, 2001; Anjira Assavanonda; In a bid to prevent the spread of HIV/Aids among prisoners, eight members of the Bangkok Gay Group staged a play for gay inmates yesterday on how to protect themselves from the virus. A group of gay activists poses for photographs in front of Klong Prem Central Prison yesterday. _ JETJARAS NA RANONG The show was perfor
Cover limited to opportunistic infections: Bangkok Post - March 22, 2001; Treatment for opportunistic infections, though not Aids itself, will be included in the 30-baht health scheme, said Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan. Though the scheme would not provide anti-retroviral drugs for HIV/Aids patients, treatments for side-illnesses resulting from low immunity would be included, she
More patients progress to full-blown disease; Tuberculosis claims 29% lives in the end: Bangkok Post - March 22, 2001; Many HIV-infected patients are progressing to full-blown Aids despite an effective programme for preventing sexual transmission of HIV, say researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Those Aids patients are now being diagnosed with wasting, tuberculosis, pneumonia, and other opportunistic infections that
Generic Aids pills get push for care plan Treat all illnesses fairly, groups say: Bangkok Post - March 21, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; The government can afford to include Aids/HIV treatment in its 30-baht health scheme if it buys generic drugs, Aids activists say. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said the scheme would not initially include drugs for chronic illnesses, like anti-retroviral drugs for Aids/HIV or haemo-dialysis for kidney failure. The
Jon wants HIV patients, disabled to be part of plan 'People shouldn't have to pay at all': Bangkok Post - March 18, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi, Onnucha Hutasingh and Kosol Satitthamajitr; Mental health and care for the handicapped should be included in the 30-baht hospital visit scheme, a seminar was told yesterday. Senator Jon Ungphakorn said the government had omitted mention of these services in discussion of the new health care package. The scheme should also include medication for chronic illnesses
Editorial: All eyes on Pretoria in Aids drugs fight: Bangkok Post - March 7, 2001; Millions of people in developing countries, Thais included, are desperately hoping that a landmark court case currently being heard in Pretoria will result in cheaper Aids drugs being made available. The case pits the South African government against 39 pharmaceutical companies represented by the Pharmaceutical Manufac
Aids activists air complaint: Bangkok Post - March 6, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; Aids activists yesterday urged the Public Health Ministry to make anti-retroviral drugs more accessible to Aids/HIV sufferers. Speaking on behalf of the activists, Senator Jon Ungphakorn said the Communicable Diseases Control Department could use its budget for triple-drug combinations to purchase similar generic drugs
Concern raised over disease spread by illegal immigrants: Bangkok Post - February 19, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; The provincial health chief yesterday raised concern over the recurrence of elephantiasis due to the influx of illegal Burmese immigrants. Dr Supachai Phataranuthaporn said 4-5% of Burmese workers in Ranong province have filariasis, a parasitic infection which leads to elephantiasis. All the patients identified with th
HIV / AIDS TREATMENT: Activists laud free drugs for sufferers However concerns over distribution: Bangkok Post - February 15, 2001; Apaluck Bhatiasevi; Aids activists yesterday welcomed Ministry of Public Health plans to provide free anti-Aids drugs to 1,500 patients, but raised concerns over distribution. The 240 million-baht plan will cater to 1,500 HIV-positive patients nationwide. Health spokesperson Nitaya Mahabhol said the programme was expected to prolong the l
HIV-AIDS: National panel to seek big boost in research funding: Bangkok Post - February 12, 2001; The National Aids Committee will ask the new government to significantly increase the annual budget for HIV-Aids research to 3-5 billion baht from 1.5 billion baht Director-general of the Communicable Disease Control Department Dr Somsong Rakpao said Aids was the most important national public health problem. There wer
HIV/AIDS: Slow rate of infection seen in 2000 But slight increase among prostitutes: Bangkok Post - February 9, 2001; Thailand s HIV infection rate slowed last year, but the spread of the deadly disease among prostitutes increased slightly, the Public Health Ministry said. Despite the welcomed news that efforts to halt the spread of HIV appear to be successful, health experts warned the figures may be just a statistical blip. They sai
STATISTICS: Aids shame hurts accuracy of death papers, study finds Kin of the deceased don't give real cause: Bangkok Post - February 1, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; At least 25% of death certificates issued in the country are not accurate because of the Aids problem, the Public Health Ministry was told yesterday. A study by Dr Chanpen Chupraphawan of Health Systems Research Institute has shown that heart failure, accidents and cancer were identified as the three major causes of de
Editorial: Rangoon must act fast to curb Aids: Bangkok Post - January 27, 2001; The admission by Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, First Secretary of the ruling State Peace and Development Council, that Aids is a threat to Burma is welcome news. Though belatedly, it should mean that the military junta accepts a horrible fact of life, and by implication wants to remedy it. But sceptics are also entitled to thin
HIV/AIDS: Panel backs more vaccine trials But procedure must meet rigid standard: Bangkok Post - January 19, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; Trials of the HIV-I Immunogen therapeutic vaccine should continue, a sub-committee says. Seri Tuchinda, who heads a group appointed by Public Health Minister Korn Dabbaransi, said procedures would change to meet international standards. Dr Seri said his group would ask the scientific sub-committee considering human tri
Editorial: Drug trial is a test of common sense: Bangkok Post - January 17, 2001; The recent flare-up in the drawn-out argument over the efficacy of a therapeutic candidate vaccine for Aids, known under the commercial brandname Remune, has caused a stir in the scientific-medical community, with many practitioners wondering aloud how long the row will drag on and how much professional integrity will
Mahidol steps into vaccine row to probe 'conflict of interest' Researcher and her evaluator critics will be asked to comment: Bangkok Post - January 17, 2001; Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; Mahidol University is looking into the Aids vaccine conflict in which the researcher accuses her evaluators of a conflict of interest. The spat between researchers in the HIV-1 Immunogen therapeutic vaccine trial and evaluators on the National Aids Commission could disrupt work on the vaccine marketed as Remune. Rect
Conflict in Aids panel intensifies PM asked to remove committee members: Bangkok Post - January 16, 2001; Nusara Thaitawat; Conflict in the National Aids Committee has intensified with the lead researcher in the HIV-1 Immunogen therapeutic vaccine petitioning the prime minister to remove three respected members. Vina Churdboonchart cited conflict of interest in the refusal of the three to approve her proposal to further study the vaccine am
Concerns mount over border disease Experts visit clinics near Burma frontier: Bangkok Post - January 14, 2001; Supamart Kasem in Tak; A team of Thai experts visited public health officials in Mae Sot district to observe the spread and treatment of communicable diseases along the Burmese border. As part of a joint medical agreement signed in July by Thailand and Burma , the team yesterday visited Mae La refugee camp in Tha Song Yang district and the C
Editorial: Burma denial puts people at risk: Bangkok Post - January 7, 2001; An American medical study has dramatically demonstrated the dangers of denial of the Aids epidemic. Data revealed important differences in knowledge about Aids between Burmese living in border refugee camps and Burmese workers-most of them illegal immigrants. Briefly put, people in the refugee camps had better educatio
Can it or can it not? A panel of Thai doctors and other experts are carrying out significant testing to find a vaccine for HIV, but early results have elicited mixed reactions-and uncomfortable silences: Bangkok Post - January 4, 2001; Nusara Thaitawat; The it refers to HIV-1 Immunogen, a therapeutic candidate HIV vaccine, marketed under the name Remune. And the can refers to its ability to help repair the damaged immunity of a person infected with the HIV virus which causes Aids. Thailand s top experts in HIV vaccine research have been struggling with this question f
AIDS / HIV worsening with rise in drugs use UN says prevention schemes lack funds: Bangkok Post - January 3, 2001; Anucha Charoenpo and Aphaluck Bhatiasevi; A worsening HIV/Aids situation is being observed due to widespread use of illegal drugs in the Asia-Pacific region, says a UN study on drug use and HIV vulnerability. Law enforcement and political policies are the two main barriers impeding implementation of effective prevention measures targeted to control the spread

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