1. Name: Misa Yamada
Topic: HIV and Aids
Period: 1
Lack of Education Causes Thai Citizens to Obliviously Undergo Agony
Is the Thai government executing adequately to aid against the issue of HIV and
Aids?
“I wanna die. I wanna die” (Yuasa). Envision the lives of those whom have
nothing left, but only suffer from abandonment, tender aches and dread in their lives.
These sore emotions are what the patients in Thailand with the illness of HIV and
Aids undergo day by day. The initial case of Aids in Thailand was established in the
year of 1984 (Aids Data Hub). At that time a great number of HIV infections and
Aids resulted from various transmission techniques; injecting drug users (IDU),
heterosexuals, homosexuals, and mother-to-child infections (Aids Data Hub). Soon
after the outburst, the government engaged the issue immediately, which resulted in a
year with positive feedbacks. From the years of 1987 to 1988, the HIV incidence
amongst injecting drug users in Bangkok went from 0% to 49%, but shortly
afterwards, an approximate of people who lived with HIV had decreased from
660,000 in the year of 2001 to 610,000 in 2007 (Aids Data Hub). Before long, the
projected HIV rate gradually decreased as the government assisted with various ways
of prevention. However, the government soon made alterations to numerous branches
of funds in Thailand, which devastated the HIV/Aids prevention strategies. With
fewer funds to aid the prevention strategies of HIV/Aids, it had impacted with a result
of an increase rate of HIV and Aids infections (“AIDS SPECIAL…”). Thus, while the
government has attempted to address the HIV/Aids issue in Thailand, the government
has not put sufficient effort into the crisis, as the rate of HIV/Aids infection has
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2. increased.
To an extent, the government policy has been effective in the prevention of
HIV. At the preliminary stages of the HIV/Aids issue, the battle against the increase
of HIV/Aids rate excelled during the late 1980’s through the 1990’s (Cumming-
Bruce). In the role of Mechai Viravaidya; ex-deputy minister of industry and senator,
he is Thailand’s leading family-planning advocate and HIV/Aids activist. Mr.
Viravaidya has compelled an increase in countless attempts of promotion, in intention
towards sexual safety awareness of HIV/Aids (“AIDS SPECIAL…”). Through Mr.
Viravaidya’s endeavoring approaches to inhibit the increase of HIV/Aids rate, he set
up a high portion of government funds towards educating about the concern of sexual
safety awareness and HIV/Aids to the young citizens of Thailand. As a result, Mr.
Viravaidya’s prevention strategy succeeded with a decrease rate of HIV/Aids
infections as well as informing the Thai citizens with knowledge about HIV/Aids
(Morse). More recently, a venture of a national Aids prevention plan has been thought
upon; the Condom Point (Fernquest). The recent prevention plan to decrease the HIV/
Aids rate, is the dispense of free condoms and lubricant gel packs at entertainment
venues such as discos, karaoke bars, fitness centers, saunas and beauty salons to target
towards gay men (Fernquest). Given that a high HIV transmission rate between men
who are having sex with men is from the result of unsafe sex (Fernquest). According
to the Public Health Ministry, it has also been expected that there will be an
approximate 10,097 new HIV cases this year, of which 30% of the new cases are of
men having sex with men (Fernquest). In addition, Mr. Paijit Warachit, Public Health
secretary stated that if a prevention plan is not formed, the group of men having sex
with men (MSM) could be accountable for half the total amount of new cases in the
country for the next fourteen years. Moreover, Mr. Kittinan Thammatat; chairman of
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3. the gay rights advocacy group, Thai Rainbow Club, believes that the Condom Point
project will permit young sexually active men having sex with men with better access
to condoms as an effective tool in prevention of transmitting HIV/Aids or other
sexually transmitted diseases, for instance syphilis and hepatitis. Toward the direction
of promoting condom use, Mr. Thammatat is presently also in attempt to lower the
price of condoms. The reason desired to lower the costs of condoms is because a pack
of condoms costs around 40 to 50 baht, which is considered expensive to teenagers of
both heterosexuals and homosexuals (Fernquest). With high costs of condoms, this
leads to the lack of condom use during sexual activities for protection, as condoms are
not commonly utilized among the young citizens of Thailand. So as a result, lowering
the costs of condoms may reduce the increase rate of sexual transmitted diseases.
A vital extensive discriminatory issue in Thailand is the discrimination
towards people with HIV/Aids. Each and every entity has the entitlement to obtain the
utmost respect as an individual. Although the utter rights to each individual is an
opposition in Thailand. Individuals who are tested HIV-positive or contain Aids are
left behind by their family and friends, leaving the infected HIV/Aids patients with no
one and nothing (Yuasa). Frequently, people infected with Aids travel to the temple
hospice on their own, even with their children from time to time, having no other
place to go to (Yuasa). On occasions, some Aids patients are dropped off by their
family at the temple and have been abandoned by their families, since they do not see
their families ever again (Yuasa). Even still after the deaths of Aids patients, most
families do not return to the temple to get a hold of the bones (Yuasa). This clearly
demonstrates pessimistic discrimination to HIV/Aids patients. Promoter of safe sex
and education on HIV/Aids activist, Mechai Viravaidya stated that ex-Prime Minister,
Thaksin Shinawatra is the only one of seven Prime Ministers who have never attended
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4. a meeting of the national Aids council (Cumming-Bruce). So as the Prime Minister at
the time, Thaksin Shinawatra did not attend the meeting of the national Aids council.
This is also very apparent that the government is apathetic to the issue, which is also a
form of discrimination towards the infected HIV/Aids patients. An additional
discriminatory factor towards patients with HIV/Aids is the illegal act of unlawful
requirement of the HIV/Aids tests to permit employment (Gunawan Pratama…
group). Illegitimately, whether the Thai law requires the HIV tests in order to allow
the consent of employment or not, it should not effect the factor of permitting
employment to an individual. Whether a person attains the HIV/Aids disease or not,
an individual should not have to contend with a personal health issue, as it is injustice.
The government has worked to some extent as the government policy has
helped people living with HIV. From the year 2001, the Thai government has
provided the antiretroviral drug treatment (ART) free of charge to those with Aids.
Originally, about 63 branded drugs were used to aid the patients with the disease in
Thailand, however an increase in the production of generic drugs within Thailand has
allowed the government to get a hold of the medication at a cheaper price ("AIDS in
Thailand."). An estimation of about 78 thousand aids patients has received the
antiretroviral drug, which the Thai government provides to those in need at no cost
(Cumming-Bruce). The provision of the free medical treatment of the antiretroviral
drug allows one who’s infected with Aids to live on with life accordingly. Also, as
mentioned earlier, the “Condom Point” program is currently in launch to
entertainment venues nationwide by next year in the prevention of HIV/Aids
transmissions. In which, the installations of the “Condom Points” will allow safe
sexual activities among heterosexuals and homosexuals which will hopefully decrease
the rate of HIV/Aids infections. The outcome of the “Condom Point” will allow
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5. patients with HIV/Aids to have safe sex with other individuals by avoiding the
transmission of the HIV/Aids disease to someone else. So with free medical
treatments to HIV/Aids patients and the “Condom Points”, the government helps both
the people who are infected with HIV/Aids and those who are not infected.
While it is true that the government policy assists those who are tainted with
the HIV/Aids virus with antiretroviral medication, the government is not facilitating
for everyone living with the HIV/Aids disease. Located northeast of Bangkok in Lop
Buri, is a home to innumerable HIV/Aids patients that have been abandoned. A
compassionate Buddhist monk, Alongkot Dikkapanya left his promising career in the
engineering at the ministry of agriculture at the age of 26 to become a monk, and then
soon became a divinity figure to those without hope and faith. At the monks’ temple,
he offers the abandoned aids patients’ shelter, food and medical treatments. From
contributions given from individual visitors and the Royal Family, the monk is able to
provide shelter, food and medicine (Yuasa). Excluding the government, they do not
fund the Aids hospice to help support those who have no money, no job, and no
family. Even though the government policy serves free antiretroviral medications to
HIV/Aids patients, a considerable amount of money has been reduced in education
and prevention concerning HIV/Aids (“AIDS SPECIAL…”). Education towards Aids
has gone into ‘hibernation’ and the Thai citizens do not realize the outcomes of unsafe
sexual transmissions and unsafe injections (“AIDS SPECIAL…”). Hence the reason
to exhaust and overstress the importance of education to prevent the cause of
HIV/Aids infections is crucial. The occurrence of HIV/Aids infections between
intravenous drug addicts still remains at about 40% or more. With the provision of
antiretroviral medication for HIV/Aids patients provided by the government, it has yet
cause increases and constant HIV/Aids results. This is due to the lack of education on
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6. HIV/Aids (Cumming-Bruce). Thus this illustrates an articulate example that the
government does not take sufficient caution towards all the people with HIV/Aids.
Despite the fact that the government policy has been effective in the
prevention of HIV, the truth of the matter is that the changes in government funding
has led to an increase in HIV. By the reason that HIV/Aids has increased is of the
deficient amount spent towards educating about the effects of unprotected sex or
unsafe needle use (“AIDS SPECIAL…”). Since the government funds reduced
towards the issue of HIV/Aids, the HIV/Aids disease has doubled since the year 2000
in certain areas of southern Thailand. Also an increase HIV/Aids infections in the
percentage of gay and bisexual men has raised from 17.3% in the year of 2003 to
23.8% in 2005 (Cumming-Bruce). Consequently, a number of risk groups have re-
emerged, causing the infection rates among drug users, exploiting unsafe injection
techniques as high as 50% (“AIDS SPECIAL…”). In result of the government funds,
less than one percent of the country’s gross domestic product has been spent on health
preventions, such as HIV/Aids. With less than one percent of the country’s gross
domestic product being spent towards health preventions, the amount of money used
towards preventing HIV/Aids is not adequate (Fernquest). This clearly demonstrates
that the government lacks consideration towards the HIV/Aids issue. So the
government should further study the issue of HIV/Aids with acknowledgement
towards HIV/Aids prevention campaigns to resolve the result of increases in
HIV/Aids infections. It is evident that the lack of education towards HIV/Aids
infections is the main source in which the rate of HIV/Aids infections has increased.
Therefore, educating the citizens of Thailand in regards towards the issue of
HIV/Aids can result in a positive aspect in the hopes of fighting and preventing the
HIV/Aids disease.
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7. Albeit the fact that the Thai government serves free medication to HIV/Aids
patients, the government has failed to achieve the prevention of HIV/Aids due to
altered government funds, causing the rate of HIV/Aids infections to increase, as well
as the prevention of discrimination towards HIV/Aids patients. The widespread of
discrimination towards people with HIV/Aids has not been in defense of those with
HIV/Aids, thus prevents the patients with the permit of employment, family and the
most important, love. As a final point, the HIV/Aids rate has increased due to the lack
of funds to support the education of HIV/Aids. As well, the Thai government falls
short in assisting each and every one of those who are infected with HIV/Aids, as they
do not aid hospices that provide a home, free shelter, food and medical care to the
HIV/Aids victims. In consequence, it is apparent that the Thai government has not
adequately situated the prevention of HIV/Aids issue to reduce the HIV/Aids
infection rate.
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