Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome (center,
back) leads officials and guests to celebrate World AIDS Day 2014.
Jetsada Homklin
Public officials, educators and health professionals in Pattaya marked World
AIDS Day with a parade and free condoms.
Pattaya Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome led a parade from Central and Beach roads to
Walking Street. Officials from the Prevention and Control of Diseases
Department, Pattaya Public Health Department, Chonburi Public Health Department
and many other AIDS originations, activists, health officials and students from
Pattaya and Banglamung schools participated, carrying informational signs and
handing out free condoms, lubricants and flyers. Over 10,000 condoms were handed
out along the route.
Kwangtung, aka Ms. Healthy Queen
2014, from the Sister Foundation, leads a group in the World AIDS Days parade.
Every year the World Health Organization designates Dec. 1 as
World AIDS Day for people to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support
for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. This year’s
theme was “AIDS is treatable if detected early.” Organizers promoted a message
of reducing the number of new HIV infections, AIDS deaths and stigmas associated
with carrying the disease.
Official figures show that over half a million people in Thailand are currently
HIV positive but the true figure is thought to be much higher as many who have
contracted the virus are either unwilling or lacking funds to receive medical
assistance or are unaware they have contracted the virus. According to the
Bureau of AIDS, approximately 62% of people infected with HIV/AIDS in Thailand
are males.
Thailand ranks 39th in the world in HIV/AIDS, behind such countries as Haiti,
Ghana and most African countries.
Private sectors involved in the tourism industry in Pattaya also held charity
functions to support local HIV groups and organizations, including the annual
Pattaya Pride street party in Boys Town and an entertaining function at Baan
Souy to raise funds for Heartt2000.
Baan Souy hosted a World AIDS Day
event to raise funds for Heartt2000.
