Over 1 million Thais are infected with HIV-AIDs

BANGKOK, 18 March 2012 (NNT) – The Public Health Ministry reports that the number of HIV/AIDs patients in Thailand is on the rise with over 1 million patients currently.

At the annual HIV/AIDs conference held in Chiang Mai, Public Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri disclosed that HIV/AIDs is an incurable chronic disease of which more than 1 million patients have been reported to be infected.

According to Mr. Wittaya , 25 percent of the total diagnosed patients are in the working group aged between 30-34. While unprotected sex is the major risk factor which accounts for as high as 84 percent, premature and unprotected sex among secondary school and vocational students is becoming more of a problem.

The Public Health Minister added that this year the National Health Security Office (NHSO) has set nearly 3 billion baht as a budget for HIV/AIDs care and treatment while planning to increase the budget to 3.5 billion baht for next year.