Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bangkok Post - June 26, 2007
It is the second stage of a five-year plan, lasting from 2004 to 2008, to provide care, protection and treatment for women during pregnancy and after giving birth, new-born babies and infected families.
Public health permanent secretary Prat Boonyawongvirote said the ministry's efforts to provide treatment to HIV-infected mothers have failed, as more than half of infected women stop seeing doctors after giving birth.
Discrimination by neighbours and health staff discouraged these women from seeking help.
He was speaking at a seminar with local administrative organisations, NGOs and networks of people with HIV/Aids to lay down guidelines for the care, protection and treatment of infected pregnant women.Deputy Health Minister Morakot Pornkasem said there are 7-8,000 new cases of pregnant women infected with HIV/Aids each year.
Without effective preventive measures to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission, the number of newborn babies infected with the virus could rise to 1,800 to 2,000 a year.
He said anti-viral drugs can reduce mother-to-child transmission to 6%.
The service will also be given to immigrant workers in 12 provinces - Samut Sakhon, Trat, Sa Kaeo, Si Sa Ket, Tak, Rayong, Ranong, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Chachoengsao, Phetchaburi and Chanthaburi.
The programme is supported by the Global Fund, which aims to fight Aids, tuberculosis and malaria, with a budget of 560 million baht.
In the plan's first stage from 2004 to 2005, health staff were trained to take care of HIV-positive mothers after childbirth and infected family members.
HIV-positive people were urged to seek medical help at the 100 public and 724 community hospitals.
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