BANGKOK, 21 June 2015 – The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is launching a campaign on “Voluntary Counselling and Testing Day (VCT Day) for HIV 2015” at the Bangkok Railway Station (Hua Lampong), hoping to encourage Bangkokians to get free HIV tests twice a year at any BMA Health Centers.
Deputy Governor of Bangkok Pusadee Tamthai who presided over the launching ceremony said the BMA aims to raise public awareness of the need to get HIV inspections on a constant basis. Men who have Sex with Men (MSM), prostitutes, and injecting drug users are the main target groups of the campaign as they are in highest risk of HIV infection and transmission.
According to Mrs.Pusadee, there are over 61,600 people infected with HIV/AIDS, but only 49,000 of them realized their infections and received proper medical treatment. The rest of the victims do not know the infection as they avoided HIV testing. Some of the tested persons ignored the testing result. This delays their opportunity to have good treatment and these persons possibly become the virus transmitters.
At the site of the campaign, HIV/AIDS networks and related societies jointly set up exhibition booths to educate people about prevention of HIV/AIDS and other sexual transmitted diseases. Free consultancy and HIV testing are also available there. A fashion show of clothes using condoms as raw materials was the highlight of the event.
