Statements and Webcast
Thailand
H.E. Dr. Paijit Warachit, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health
8 June 2011
- Statement: English (Check against delivery)
Statement Summary
PAIJIT WARACHIT, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health of Thailand, said that his country had made substantial progress in the prevention of HIV infection among the general population and Prevention of mother-to-child transmission. Current coverage included nearly 97 per cent of women in need. Access to HIV treatment, care and support was now a reality for nearly 80 per cent of all in need. In addition, some services had been expanded to non-nationals and people in remote areas, including migrant workers and ethnic minorities. The Government projected that, for the next five years, certain key affected populations would account for 90 per cent of new infections, including men having sex with men, sex workers, injecting drug users and partners in a relationship with someone HIV positive. Thailand was working to emphasize innovation, focus on prevention and address the legal, social and environmental factors that hindered access to services and that fuelled discrimination. A rights-based and gender-sensitive approach was also integral to providing prevention services.
In order to scale up its prevention response, Thailand had decided to pilot innovative financing models, including a “country prevention fund,” he said. Thailand also recognized that HIV was more than a health challenge and that it was necessary to maximize synergies from government and non-government services in an integrated manner. Thailand was currently providing HIV prevention and care for migrant workers from neighbouring countries, with a substantial contribution from the Global Fund. Additionally, Thailand had scaled up treatment programmes that relied on domestic funding and little on international sources. In that respect, trade-related intellectual property rights (TRIPs) were essential in efforts to achieve universal access. The international community needed to work together to reach global targets, and Thailand reaffirmed its commitment to working with all nations to end the scourge of HIV/AIDS.
Source: GA/11086