BANGKOK, Oct 27 – Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha expressed his intention for Thailand’s AIDS patients at all levels to have access to appropriate drugs when Michel Sidibé, executive director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), met him at Government House today.
“Thailand gives full support to provide patients of all classes with access to anti-viral drugs. This includes the access of migrant workers in Thailand to a health security system so that they receive benefits relating to prevention and treatment with antiviral drugs,” Gen Prayut said.
The Thai government will pay for 90 per cent of solutions to AIDS in the country, even if the Global Fund stops financial support for Thailand in two years. Thailand would continue to tackle AIDS with its own funds, the prime minister said.
Gen Prayut thanked UNAIDS for its support for Thailand.
He said that Thailand’s intention to stop newly infected HIV patients, AIDS-related discrimination and AIDS-related death was in line with UNAIDS’ strategies and that Thailand’s government, private sector and civil society were joining together to cope with the AIDS problems that have existed in the country for over three decades.
The UNAIDS head praised the prime minister for his profound knowledge of HIV/AIDS and playing important roles in solutions to the disease.
He promised the UNAIDS was ready to give all possible support for Thailand to cope with HIV/AIDS. He believes that the country will successfully solve AIDS-related problems ahead of schedule.
