AEGiS-Bangkok Post: Over 10,000 will be infected this year, warns report

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Over 10,000 will be infected this year, warns report

Bangkok Post - February 12, 2009
Apiradee Treerutkuarkul

More than 10,000 people will develop HIV/Aids this year, a report released yesterday says. Deputy Public Health Minister Manit Nopamornbode said about 11,700 people were expected to become new sufferers, most of them women who will get HIV from their lovers followed by gay men who have unprotected sex.

As well, men who get HIV from sex workers will infect their wives, intravenous drug users, those having casual sex and prostitutes are expected to be among the new sufferers.

The statistics were revealed yesterday at a news conference on the HIV situation held by the Public Health Ministry.

Thailand has recorded 1,127,168 people who have contracted HIV. Of that number, 613,510 have died and about 516,630 adults are living with HIV/Aids, Mr Manit said.

He said the ministry was shaping three main HIV policies, including reducing the number of new sufferers before 2011, providing unrestricted access to antiviral drugs and treatment, and access to social welfare for more than 80% of people living with HIV/Aids and their families.

Mechai Veravaidya, chairman of the sub-committee on national Aids prevention, told the conference research last year had shown the average age at which youngsters become sex workers is 16 and 44% of them were students.

Mr Mechai said the gravest concern was that young people were at the highest risk of sexually transmitted diseases at a time when the number is rising sharply.

In 2007, 32% of those infected with sexually transmitted diseases were young people. Not using condoms was a major cause of the spread of venereal disease.

Mr Mechai said only one in five young people used a condom while having sex.

Renu Srisamit, National Health Security Office senior adviser, said 151,909 HIV positive people were admitted to the universal health care scheme last year.

In a December survey, 69% of young people were unaware of safe sex, said Kittipan Kanjina, a representative of the youth network against HIV/Aids.

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