Vientiane - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is preparing to lead financing of the estimated $15 billion in funds needed for new infrastructure developments in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) over the next five years. The 13th ministerial meeting of the GMS Economic Co-operation Programme began earlier this week on
World Aids Day yesterday was commemorated on a sober note, just as it has every year since this disease befell humankind with its deadly effects in the early 1980s. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids, or, more simply, UNAids, said in its latest report that the total number of people infected with HIV, the v
Although new HIV cases are on the decline, there is mounting concern that the rate of infection among young people and women is rising and the health ministry has said this will set the future direction of its Aids campaigns. Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan said yesterday that global surveys over the past fiv
At least 2,000 schools across the country will next year be selected to join the Education Ministry s new project to develop a new way to give students proper sex education. The ministry admitted that teaching sex education as part of the general curriculum proved a total failure. After three years of implementaion, mo
The United Nations Development Programme wants more a vigorous effort from the government to alert young people about the dangers of HIV/Aids. Hakan Bjorkman, deputy chief of the UNDP in Thailand , said the government needs to do more to instil knowledge about the disease and measures to prevent infection. The call
When the Sars epidemic was circling the globe, the World Health Organisation purported to be leading efforts to treat the disease. But the WHO was reluctant to send staff to hard-hit Taiwan , due to its extensive ties with China . For the WHO, politics was more important than health.
-- Thailand has spoken of working more closely with Africa in all sorts of areas but has yet to take advantage of the many opportunities that exist The Thaksin government needs to match its words with deeds after its promise of technical assistance and cooperation to African states under the South-South cooperation ban
More female teenagers are at risk of HIV infection due to more liberal attitudes towards having sex at much younger ages with different casual partners and not using protection, a Public Health Ministry report released yesterday said. Sombat Thanprasertsuk, director of the Aids, Tuberculosis and Sexually Transmitted Di
Young and wild at age 19, Jack never cared about the feelings of girls he had sex with until he attended the Ban Kanjanaphisek Juvenile Observation and Protection Centre sex education programme. Before, I just thought of sex as fun. When my friends persuaded me to sleep with girls, I never said no just to prove I was c
Thailand will register the medical formula of a locally-made Aids drug in the United States in a bid to produce medicine for HIV-positive people in developing countries under the US President s Emergency Plan for HIV/Aids Relief (PEPFAR). Tongchai Thavichachart, director of the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation
Thailand will raise Aids infection problems at the 12th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Santiago, Chile , says Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Mr Thaksin said on yesterday s Prime Minister Thaksin Talks to the People radio programme, taped before he left for the Apec summit, that Chile as host of the A
Consumer activists yesterday urged the Public Health Ministry to stop making cosmetics and focus more on developing drugs that keep people alive. The Foundation for Consumers, the Aids Access Foundation and the Thai Holistic Health Foundation issued a joint statement calling on the ministry to stop advertising babyface
Negotiators involved in free trade agreement talks with the United States yesterday sought to the allay fears of HIV/Aids patients, assuring them Thailand will not allow the pact to hamper future access to cheap anti-Aids drugs. With the next round of talks set for Dec 13-17, worries have grown among Aids activists and
Thai and Canadian social activists have joined hands to launch a project to promote HIV/Aids prevention among migrant sex workers. Sue M Carey, director of the Canada Southeast Asia Regional HIV/Aids Project (Csearhap), said there was a lack of control and prevention of the disease among local and migrant sex workers,
Students want sex education which deals with real life issues, not theory, a seminar on sex education courses was told. Praewpilas Ruangthong, a youth representative from Prince of Songkhla University in Pattani, said sex education should give youngsters more than what is written in textbooks. We want to learn somethin
Thailand s promise to offer locally-made anti-Aids drugs to 300,000 HIV-positive people here and overseas will be met in two years, an official of the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation said. Isaraet Gosriwatana, the GPO international sales manager, said production capacity would be expanded to cover the target num
Thailand yesterday pledged to give Burma anti-Aids drugs and condoms, worth 10 million baht, to help combat the spread of HIV along the border. The aid, promised in talks in Rangoon between Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan and her counterpart Kyaw Myint, consists of GPO-VIR pills produced by the Government P
Swinging sex has become increasingly popular among Thai teenagers in big cities, raising concern about high HIV infection rates among youngsters. Boonyong Vechamanesri, deputy secretary of the National and Social and Economic Development Board, said swinging sex was gaining in popularity among teenagers and young peopl
The National Human Rights Commission and Aids advocacy groups have urged the government to speed up patent law amendment, or issue an executive decree to ensure better access to anti-retroviral treatments for people living with HIV/Aids. The groups said the government should change the law so it complies with the Aug 3
With little being achieved under the goals set for women s advancement by the historic meeting in Beijing a decade ago, women and governmental leaders from the Asia-Pacific region are now mapping out new strategies to improve women s rights and status. They are meeting at the Escap in Bangkok to appraise the implementa
The United States is looking to buy GPO-VIR low-cost anti-retroviral pills from Thailand for patients in developing countries under the President s Emergency Plan for HIV/Aids Relief (Pepfar). The order has not yet been confirmed because GPO-VIR, produced by the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation, a state enterpris
Aids activists yesterday questioned the government s intention to keep its promise to provide 50,000 patients anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment within the year, saying its 800-million-baht allocation is not enough to meet the target. Nimit Tienudom, director of the Aids Access Foundation, voiced concern over the governme
The parents of a 15-year-old boy will ask the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to intervene in a dispute in which they allege a local hospital infected him with HIV. Phahonphonphayuhasena Hospital has rejected the accusations. A local conservation group, Anurak Kan Club, led by Pinant Chotirosseranee, has volunt
A senior health official blamed unsafe sex by foreign tourists for a news report that many young tourists, particularly those from Britain and Germany , went home with sexually transmitted diseases (STD), including HIV. Charal Trinvuthipong, acting permanent secretary of public health, said the government was already p
The row over drug patents was possibly the most contentious at the 15th International Aids Conference co-hosted last week by Thailand and the International Aids Society. The heat might now have cooled, but the fire will burn on as long as the pharmaceutical giants charge so much for patented medicines in a world where
The streamers and balloons have come down; the party is over. It s time to convert the fine statements made at the 15th International Aids Conference into something more substantial. Last week saw 17,000 people gather in Bangkok to put their heads together to solve the global HIV/Aids crisis. The message heard over and
There was something for everyone at this year s International Aids Conference: apoplectic protesters in shrill t-shirts chanting against myriad injustices, a parade elephant accused and later exonerated or running amok, nerdy researchers wearing unfortunate uncoordinates rushing to their symposiums, perfectly preened d
Kreangsak Takrutkaew has shot to fame overnight. A picture, in which he was embraced and kissed by Hollywood star Ashley Judd and singer Coco Lee, was splashed on the front pages of many newspapers last week. The celebrities, taking part in the 15th International Aids Conference, paid a visit to Lop Buri s Wat Phra Bah
International conferences create a great deal of sound and fury and give an impression that something important is being done about a particular issue. Sometimes there is a meeting of minds followed by a breakthrough, but all too often there is little in the way of real, lasting accomplishment. There are exceptions, of
At least 20,000 prison inmates will be released as part of the Queen s birthday celebrations on Aug 12, Nathee Chitsawang of the Justice Corrections Department said yesterday. The prisoners who are old, sick, infected with HIV/Aids and those with minor offences will be considered first for release. The department will
India s ruling party leader Sonia Gandhi yesterday pledged her government s cooperation, particularly in the battle against HIV/Aids and tourism promotion, said Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai yesterday. The two countries could learn from each others efforts in embarking on the fight against the pandemic, she to
Amnesty International yesterday called on governments to protect the rights of its citizens in the global fight against HIV-Aids. Amnesty secretary-general Irene Khan told delegates at the 15th International Aids Conference about a human rights violation case in China a few days ago, when four HIV-positive people were
HIV-infected people should not be barred from joining the civil service, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said. Asked if there should be a regulation against employing HIV-infected people as public servants, Mr Thaksin said: No, we cannot do that. We are even thinking there should not be a requirement for people to un
Thai community leaders have demanded the government adopt more humane policies to help intravenous drug users suffering from HIV/Aids infections. In his final words to the 15th International Aids Conference, Paisan Suwannawong, a key member of the Thai Drug Users Network, said it was time the government introduced comp
Weary of empty promises, health activists have vowed to keep track of pledges made at the 15th International Aids Conference in Bangkok, which ended yesterday. Shaun Mellors, the South African Aids activist who represented members of the community programme, said activists would have to monitor commitments to ensure th
South African statesman Nelson Mandela has vowed not to rest until he is certain the global response is sufficient to turn the tide of HIV/Aids, which killed 2.9 million people last year. Mr Mandela said he had already announced his retirement from public life but the fight against the pandemic was one of the greatest
A World Health Organisation official yesterday said drug substitution programmes for drug users were essential to tackle the spread of HIV/Aids. The WHO strongly supported countries producing substitutes for street drugs, said Andrew Ball, the WHO official in charge of HIV/Aids. He said, however, it was not up to the a
Violeta Ross, an HIV-positive woman from Bolivia , will try to get participants to think more about Latin America s fight against Aids when she delivers an address at today s closing of the 15th International Aids Conference. I wonder how many people can even imagine where Bolivia is when hearing the name. I ll force t
The 450 international youths participating in the 15th International Aids Conference say they will continue networking until the next meeting in Toronto in 2006. We don t want the youth network here to die down. We can t stop at this conference. We have to continue to Toronto for the next one, said Sujima Viravaidya, c
Former South African pesident Nelson Mandela last night called for strong leadership in the fight against HIV/Aids. The epidemic would test the leadership skills of not only political leaders but also their counterparts from every sector of society, he said. Leadership involved personal commitments and concrete actions
The International Aids Conference should press governments for more political and financial support to find a vaccine to end the pandemic, a United Nations official said. Stephen Lewis, the UN special envoy for Aids in Africa, said he wanted to see moves to force governments to fight HIV/Aids and finance vaccine resear
Apiradee Treerutkuarkul and Preeyanat Phanayanggoor
Drug firms, the United States and even host Thailand have been bruised by attacks by Aids activists and non-governmental organisations during the 15th International Aids Conference, which comes to a close today. Business organisations, women s groups, gay people, intravenous drug users and labour groups gathered yester
Hollywood actress Ashley Judd and singer Coco Lee yesterday urged the Thai public to lift the stigma imposed on people living with HIV/Aids and give them love instead. By visiting the infected children at Baan Gerda, an HIV hospice in Lop Buri, I can tell they are so in need of the human touch and love, said YouthAIDS
The Thai Drug Users Network yesterday received an award in honour of its work to protect drug users rights. The award was given by Human Rights Watch and the Canadian HIV/Aids Legal Network at the 15th International Aids Conference. During the government s war on drugs, which began in February 2003, many drug users hav
Thailand yesterday signed an agreement with Brazil on a six-nation plan to increase production of low-cost anti-retroviral drugs for people living with HIV/Aids. Other countries joining the Brazil-led deal are China , Russia , Nigeri
The International Aids Conference headed downtown yesterday, as 3,000 local and international activists paraded on Bangkok s streets to campaign for condom use and safe sex. The campaign, carried out by 14 networks on HIV/Aids, including the Access Group, Sexual Diversity Network, Interface Network and Empower, passed
Thailand was singled out yesterday for its failure to protect ethnic minorities and migrant workers, most of them Burmese, from the HIV virus. Reports released by non-governmental organisations at the 15th International Aids Conference suggest discriminatory law enforcement and the government s failure to protect hum
Local and international activists have little faith in Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra s pledge to exclude health patents from free trade negotiations between Thailand and the United States . Gaelle Kri Korian, a campaigner from Act Up Paris, which opposed the free trade agreement signed recently between
The US yesterday insisted on pressing ahead with its own plan to provide funds for Aids prevention despite strong criticism from health activists. Randall Tobias, the US Global Aids Coordinator, said Washington would continue to provide financial support through the President s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) a
The chairman of US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer came under fresh criticism yesterday from activists, who accused him and the company of creating barriers to people s access to low-cost anti-retroviral treatment. About 50 protesters yesterday stormed a forum taking place at the 15th International Aids Conference shouting
Thailand has been compelled to defer its plan to provide anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs to its immediate neighbours after having failed to secure financial aid commitments from the Global Fund, a government source close to the project said yesterday. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had planned to announce his plan at
The People Living with HIV/Aids (PLWHA) grouping yesterday issued a declaration demanding much greater governmental and non-governmental involvement in the battle against the deadly disease. The Bangkok Declaration, announced by the Global Network of People Living with HIV/Aids, and the Asia Pacific Network of People L
The Human Rights Watch has responded cautiously to the government s commitment to fair treatment of HIV/Aids patients, including drug users. Joanne Csete, director of the HIV/Aids and Human Rights Programme, said the New York-based group and other international non-government organisations would closely watch to see if
As world leaders, health advocates and top researchers show their fight against Aids in Bangkok, Thai reporters are struggling to get their messages out of the 15th International Aids Conference for local consumption. Many reporters for Thai-language newspapers have complained about the complete lack of translations of
When Cleve Jones, a US citizen, lost his friend to HIV/Aids in 1987, he did not want the friend to be forgotten. He made a fabric panel of one by two metres, the size of a coffin, to symbolise the death. That was the beginning of Aids memorial quilts created in memory of those who died from HIV/Aids. Such quilts now ad
The 15th International Aids Conference is providing our national leaders with another wonderful global stage. There are photo opportunities galore, with the UN secretary-general, international movie stars and little children. Our penchant for state-sponsored pomp and ceremony plays out very well on global television.
Hollywood movie actor Richard Gere opened the international Aids Film Festival on Monday by condemning America s insane war in Iraq and by refusing a suggestion that he become the next president of the United States . I lost a very close friend to Aids, Mr Gere said in a speech inside a packed movie cinem
The United States faced strong criticism yesterday from activists who accused Washington of doing too little in the global effort to combat HIV/Aids. The focus of their disappointment was the lack of a significant financial contribution from the US administration to the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malar
Hollywood actor and social activist Richard Gere launched the 2004 Aids Film Festival at Scala Theatre last night, amid hundreds of Aids activists and movie fans. One of the highlights of the International Aids Conference, the week-long festival highlights the efforts and spirit of people living and working with HIV an
In a small private corner located at one end of the Impact Exhibition Centre, people with HIV/Aids (PHAs) drop by, not just to take a break from the tight schedule, but also to meet and make friends with people with whom they can share their experiences. With the slogan Positive Life, Positive Friends, the PHA Lounge w
The sounds of drumbeats and cheerful music echoed around the ground floor of the Impact Convention Centre yesterday, marking the official opening of the Global Village, a community project to link people from every corner of the world and many ways of life in their fight against HIV/Aids. But the event, unlike the gran
The government plans to start a new phase in its fight against HIV/Aids by introducing improved sex education in schools. Promoted as a social vaccine , the plan is aimed at preventing the rising spread of the disease among teenagers. Government spokesman Jakrapob Penkair said Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra admitted
The first two days of the International Aids Conference in Bangkok make it difficult to be hopeful about the chances of defeating the threatening pandemic. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan challenged world leaders to step up policies to deal with Aids, but they were not present to hear him. A summit of world leaders and
The abbot of Wat Phrabat Namphu hopes the celebrities visiting his temple, renowned for its Aids treatment centre, will turn their promises into deeds in fighting HIV/Aids. I would like to see those stars follow up on what they have told the media, said Phra Khru Udom Prachathorn, the abbot. The temple in Lop Buri s Mu
Countries in Asia and the Pacific yesterday pledged to work closer to fight HIV/Aids by cooperating on policies, legal matters, mobilisation of resources and community engagement. Ministers and delegates from 36 countries agreed on coordinated efforts at national and regional levels through multi-sectoral action and po
Apiradee Treerutkuarkul, Preeyanat Phanayanggoor and Anucha Charoernpo
Kicking off the 15th International Aids Conference yesterday, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra urged international agencies and donor countries to provide more support to developing countries in the fight against HIV/Aids. The prime minister also promised to do more than give cheap anti-retroviral drugs, GPOVIR, to pa
About 1,000 local and international activists and delegates of the 15th International Aids Conference yesterday staged a rally in front of Impact Arena, the conference venue, calling for free access to HIV/Aids medication. The demonstrators, many of whom are activists and delegates participating in the conference, marc
When participants at the 15th International Aids Conference (IAC) talk about CNN, they re not discussing the media giant, but rather condoms, needles, and negotiating skills _ three key issues in the battle against the fatal disease. As with many other international meetings, the IAC, which is drawing almost 20,000 par
Tears rolled down the cheeks of 13-year-old Kaew and her younger brother when they were asked what happened when their classmates learned their father had died of HIV/Aids. Nobody sits with me in class today. It s never been like this before, said Kaew. Her brother shares her pain. The older students I used to play foo
The government s plan to give cheap drugs to Aids patients is not ambitious enough, says the chief of the United Nations agency fighting HIV/Aids, Peter Piot. In an interview with the Bangkok Post, the UNAids executive director said the government should try harder to match supply with demand. The government plans to p
The government is planning to exercise compulsory licensing to produce copies of drugs now under patent protection to help HIV/Aids patients in need of a second regimen of anti-retroviral therapy. Tongchai Tavichachart, managing director of the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO), said the proposal had been se
Thailand used the Access for All theme for the 15th International Aids Conference to show its commitment to provide treatment to all HIV-infected people, including the poor, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday. Mr Thaksin said anyone whose CD 4 T cells, a type of white blood cells, tested below 200 per c
Ignorance of HIV/Aids is taking its toll on Lahu hilltribe villagers at Ban Pong Hai in Mae Ai district and about 20 of 300 residents have now been infected. The disease has already claimed about 10 lives, leaving orphans to be cared for by their grandparents. Thassanee Srimongkol, northern project director of the Plan
Security is in place as the 15th International Aids Conference kicks off tomorrow at Impact Convention Centre, Muang Thong Thani. A total of 553 officers attached to Special Branch Police are being deployed to ensure security during the event, according to SBP commissioner Pol Lt Gen Prung Boonpadung. The officers are
The economic cost of HIV/Aids in Thailand and other Asia Pacific countries could rise to US$17.5 billion annually unless political leaders step up efforts to avert the crisis, Asian Development Bank vice-president Geert van der Linden said. If governments intervene aggressively the rate of spread of infection can be co
Despite past successes in containing HIV/Aids infections, the government must prepare for a new challenge as the epidemic is taking its toll on prisoners and teenagers, leading Aids activists have suggested. Jon Ungpakorn, a Bangkok senator and Aids activist, yesterday raised concern over the government s alleged failu
Aids patients and labour groups have called on the government to drop the requirement that applicants for work as judges and public prosecutors undergo Aids tests. If the government does so, the private sector will have to follow suit and stop discriminating against job applicants and employees with HIV/Aids, they said
Thai representatives in the Women s Leader Forum will rally for women s reproductive rights to be the focus of strategies to tackle the HIV/Aids pandemic. Focusing on access to medicines or women s rights is not enough, said Pornpich P Patanakullert, an MP from Narathiwat and a physician by training. We need to focus o
The Untied Nations Development Programme yesterday urged the government to spend more national budget on tackling Aids as complacency could undermine the country s status as a role model in curbing the epidemic. Past success must not turn into complacency and inaction in the future, Robert England, the UNDP resident re
It may only be a small gesture towards acceptance, access and hope, but for the first time ever, the official conference bags for the XV International Aids Conference have been made by people living with HIV/Aids working under the Escap Partners for Health project. All profits will go directly towards supporting the go
The Thaksin administration takes great pride in hosting the International Aids Conference in Bangkok next week. Despite the last minute cancellation of a summit of government leaders from countries participating in the conference, the government expects the event to attract some 20,000 scientists, policy-makers and gra
The United Nations (UN) agency on population yesterday raised concerns about the quality of population development and health services for the Thai population, which is being undermined by HIV/Aids. Chaiyos Kunanusont, an adviser on HIV/Aids and sexually-transmitted infections for the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), said
People living with the HIV/Aids virus and Aids activists yesterday blasted the government for not providing equal access to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment for HIV positive workers under the Social Welfare scheme. Nimit Tien-Udom, director of the Access Foundation, said the government s decision to make workers with HIV
Thailand will ride on the momentum of the forthcoming International Aids Conference to revitalise a national campaign against the HIV-Aids epidemic, Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan said yesterday. The minister said the campaign, which will kick off shortly after the end of the international meeting, would r
Despite the success in curbing new infections, Aids epidemic in Thailand remained a concern due to a new problem of extra-marital and casual sex, the UNAids said yesterday. The United Nations agency fighting the spread of Aids praised Thailand for promoting an effective condom use campaign. Although fewer men were visi
Secret herbal medicinal potions made by an abbot at a border temple in Sadao district, Songkhla, have drawn thousands of Aids patients from Malaysia to Thailand desperate to save their lives. Wat Wiwekwanasom Prommarangsi, about 5km from the Padang Besar border checkpoint opposite Perlis in Malaysia it started admittin
The global commitment to the fight against Aids could be in jeopardy with the cancellation of the July 12 Aids summit in Bangkok, Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan said yesterday. The minister made the comment after Bangkok was forced to cancel the summit as well as a lunch between the invited leaders and peopl
A summit between national leaders and Aids victims, a key part of the XV International Aids Conference, has been cancelled for lack of interest from the leaders. The government has cancelled the forum, Leadership on HIV/Aids, also known as the Leadership Summit, planned for July 12. The July 11-16 summit is a closed-do
Aids advocates and volunteers are still hopeful the world s largest human trial of a potential vaccine for HIV/Aids in Thailand will cut the number of patients infected with the virus. A 29-year-old volunteer who calls herself Nan was the first person to take part in the Prime-Boost HIV Vaccine Phase III Trial soon aft
Non-governmental organisations wanted International Aids Conference organisers to replace Miss Thailand with a child affected by HIV/Aids in the candlelight memorial ceremony during the opening of the conference. Speaking after the final pre-conference meeting held by the Ministry of Public Health, Nimit Thienudom of A
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday drummed up support for the upcoming International Aids Conference to be hosted by Thailand by bringing top diplomats and international organisation officials to an orphanage housing HIV-infected children. The prime minister hugged the orphans, examined their living quarters a
Health authorities are keeping a close watch on two generic Aids drugs made in India after the World Health Organisation (WHO) removed them from a list of pre-qualified products. Suboonya Hutangkabodi, deputy secretary-general of the Food and Drug Administration, said health authorities were checking whether any lamivu
Thailand yesterday revealed new developmental targets - Millennium Development Goals Plus (MDG Plus) - aimed at cutting poverty to below 4% by 2009, instead of the zero poverty set by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, senior adviser on policy and planning at the National Economic and Socia
The HIV/Aids vaccine trial has been extended for another year due to the difficulty of finding enough volunteers to meet the target, a project director said yesterday. Supachai Rerks-ngarm, who is also principal investigator at the Department of Disease Control, said the experiment will continue until September next ye
Ignorance of the new Aids vaccine trial by the Public Health Ministry is undermining efforts to meet volunteer targets. The trial, started last September, aims to have 16,000 volunteers in Chon Buri and Rayong given either a vaccine or placebo over the one-year period, with follow-ups for three years. But only 6,000 pe
Despite the overall decline in the number of people falling sick over the past 10 years, Thais are now more likely than ever to suffer from debilitating health problems, according to the Thai Health Report 2003. The report, released yesterday, listed four major chronic illnesses affecting the population - respiratory,
The international community is hoping the phase-3 HIV/Aids vaccine trial in Thailand , the world s largest experiment, will lead to a new and effective treatment method for those suffering from the virus. Disease Control Department director-general Charal Trinvuthipong said yesterday that of 6,000 volunteers, 4,000 had
The city administration, international organisations and NGOs yesterday launched a project to encourage community involvement in the care of Aids patients in Bangkok. Under the Partners for Health project, community members, Aids patients and their families will be trained as volunteer workers to provide counselling as
Thai health activists are criticising Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan s plan to offer Thailand s potential excess supply of GPOVIR, a cocktail of anti-Aids drugs, to neighbouring countries. While supporting the generosity of the plan, Sureerat Treemanka, a representative of Network for Thai NGOs on Health, sa
Thailand is in a unique position to be a partner for development with Africa but it should turn the conventional aid recipient-donor relationship into a mutual study of each other s failures and successes, said a senior UNDP official. Ravi Rajan, officer-in-charge of a UNDP Special Unit for South-South Cooperation, s
Health activists are to use the International Aids Conference in Bangkok to drum up opposition to the inclusion of drug patents in a free trade agreement (FTA) between Thailand and the US. Health advocates in Thailand and other countries worry that any agreement could include drug patents to protect the lucrative US ph
Plan International, one of the world s largest community development organisations, will spend up to US$1 billion (40 billion baht) to help children and their families across Asia over the next 10 years. It will put an initial sum of $58-60 million into the region this year, of which $4 million will go to
Preeyanat Phanayanggoor and Apiradee Treerutkuarkul
Thailand plans to give Burma , Cambodia and Laos enough doses of GPOVIR, a cocktail of anti-Aids drugs, to treat about 30,000 patients as part of efforts to increase access to Aids drugs for poor countries.
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry says he wants to become America s president to take on the powerful special interests such as the drug industry . Perhaps no one is more consistently demonised for doing more good today in America than the drug companies. The US Food and Drug Administration recentl
Gift gives a bright smile when she talks about school. That is not common for an 11 year-old child, and rarer still for one living under the shadow of Aids. Her school, Ban Huarin, in Sanpatong district of Chiang Mai, is known for its child-friendly environment. It is friendly not only to healthy children, but also to
The resurgence of tuberculosis (TB) in Thailand is becoming critical with infections showing increasing drug resistance, the Public Health Ministry warned yesterday. Charal Trinvuthipong, director-general of disease control, said inconsistent treatment was the main obstacle controlling the spread of the disease.
The UNAids organisation has expressed concern over the second phase of the government s war on drugs, saying more attention should be paid to the rehabilitation of addicts, many of whom carry the deadly disease. UNAids deputy executive director Kathleen Cravero raised the issue during a meeting on Tuesday with Justice
Forty percent of new HIV infections in Thailand and other Asian countries are transmitted between man and wife, UNAids says. Deputy executive director Kathleen Cravero said most infections among married women were not due to high-risk behaviour as 80% of women with HIV/Aids had only one sex partner. This reflects
Hundreds of women activists marched down Ratchadamnoen Avenue yesterday to mark International Women s Day. Marching from the Royal Plaza to the Democracy Monument, activists carried balloons and banners demanding better work safety and health protection, community day-care centres and a change to the social security la
The Public Health Ministry yesterday insisted in continuing with the country s first large-scale HIV vaccine trial in Chon Buri and Rayong, despite criticism from American researchers. Charal Trinvuthipong, director-general of the Disease Control Department, said the ministry and other institutions involved remained co
The substance V-1 Immunitor cannot be distributed or sold because it is not registered as an Aids drug or a food supplement, the Food and Drug Administration says. FDA secretary-general Supachai Kunaratanapruk said the agency last year revoked a licence allowing the product to be marketed and sold as a food supplement.
The country will go condom crazy in July with a campaign to mark an international conference on HIV/Aids to be held in Bangkok. Tourists arriving at Don Muang airport around the time of the conference will receive safe-sex kits after having their passports stamped at immigration. In addition, a taped radio message will
The Supreme Administrative Court yesterday rejected a petition by a Rajavithi hospital doctor against four senior health officials, including the public health permanent secretary, over V1-Immunitor food supplement. In her petition Dr Orapan Methadilokkul, who backed the use of V1-Immunitor as a drug for Aids patients,
Youth leaders representing risk-groups nationwide such as Hmong people, school students, slum youngsters and child labour share their views on sex education under a project sponsored by the Health Promotion Fund. - APICHART JINAKUL Growing up in a Hmong community, Lia Saelao was raised to think she must get married by
Aids workers in one of the world s most highly infected nations are worried about an influx of the controversial Thai product Immunitor V1, touted by some as a miracle cure for HIV and Aids. The Thai company claimed it had nothing to do with the appearance of Immunitor in Swaziland , where about 40% of citizens are
The only New Year gift 35 year-old Suay longs for is understanding and care from her mother and sister. Suay knew she was HIV positive five years back but decided to tell her family only when she was admitted to the hospital two months ago. I could understand their first reaction would be filled with confusion, but I d
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