Chonburi
Gov. Wichit Chatpaisit leads a rally of students and teachers at Eastern
Technology College with lecturers invited to provide the latest information
on the disease.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Public officials, educators and health professionals
throughout Chonburi marked World AIDS Day with parades, free condoms and
information to curtail the spread of a disease that has seen resurgence in
the province.
Every year the World Health Organization designates Dec.
1 as World AIDS Day with this year’s theme again being “Stop AIDS; Keep the
Promise.” Organizers promoted a message of “universal access and human
rights” with the emphasis being placed on raising awareness to the risks of
contracting the disease.
“Discrimination needs to be eliminated and the human
rights of HIV and AIDS patients protected,” Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome said as
he kicked off the march down Beach Road through to Walking Street.
Itthiphol led the march to hand out condoms from Soi 4 to
Walking Street amid a colorful procession of floats and fancy dresses.
“That so many people in Pattaya participate in events
like this is a good sign that the public and private sector understand the
significance of AIDS prevention and take part in the campaign to prevent its
spread.”
In Chonburi, Gov. Wichit Chatpaisit led a rally of
students and teachers at Eastern Technology College with lecturers invited
to provide the latest information on the disease - first discovered in
Thailand in 1984 - and preventative steps people should take to avoid being
infected with HIV, which leads to AIDS.
From the year the first case was detected in 1986,
Chonburi has seen 12,650 AIDS cases. After several years of declines, due
largely to widespread condom-use promotion, infections increased again this
year with 1,185 new cases reported through Nov. 15.
Cases were almost equally split between men and women,
but nearly 65 percent of the cases affected those ages 20-39.
Wichit said AIDS among younger age groups is particularly
worrisome and said youths need more exposure to safe sex campaigns and
information.
Chonburi
Gov. Wichit Chatpaisit and friends distribute free condoms.
Marchers
in the AIDS Day parade hand out condoms.
Since
most new AIDS cases affect youths aged 20-39, it is important that schools
become in involved in spreading the message before it’s too late.
