Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bangkok Post - November 20, 2004
Apiradee Treerutkuarkul
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 and breast-firming creams produced by the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO), an agency under the ministry.
Officials are planning to sell the GPO beauty products at the aerobics festival at Sanam Luang today.
"The ministry fails in its mission to produce low-cost, medicinal products so people can have access to quality drugs. Those cosmetics can make huge profits, but cannot bring real benefits to people's health," said Rossana Tositrakul, chairwoman of the Thai Holistic Health Foundation.
Nimit Tien-udom, chairman of Aids Access Foundation, said the ministry should spend more of its research and development budget on drugs to treat Aids and cancer, from which many Thais suffer, resulting in the government's huge bill for imported drugs.
"About 120,000-140,000 people have HIV/Aids but only 50,000 of them are given access to antiretroviral treatment. But public health administrators are focusing on producing beauty products instead of essential drugs," he said.
GPO director Thongchai Thavichachart said the state-owned enterprise was allowed to produce products for profit, such as the babyface and breast-firming creams, but these did not account for all research and development spending. The ministry would spend 70 million baht on anti-Aids drugs and vaccines, he said, adding the budget also included herbal products so that not only HIV-positive people but other Thais could gain access to low-cost pharmaceuticals.
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