Despite significant advancements in treatment and prevention, HIV/Aids remains one of the most misunderstood health conditions, a situation that contributes to stigma, discrimination and social isolation against people living with HIV.
Worse, the images of suffering HIV/Aids patients have been used to raise funds by a leading temple in Lop Buri Province, which has been embroiled in scandals.
Renowned as a hospice offering shelter and care for people living with HIV/Aids who are abandoned by their families and rejected by society, Wat Phrabat Namphu was established by Abbot Phra Alongkot Tikkapanya in 1992.
He was defrocked last month after he and his associates were arrested and charged with embezzlement of donations and money laundering. Police are investigating the sprawling financial network of the former abbot, with estimated damages now reaching 10 billion baht.
HIV is treatable and preventable
That scandal prompted doctors, experts, authorities and the network of HIV/Aid patients to gather recently at the National Health Security Office (NHSO) in Bangkok’s Laksi District to keep the public informed about the situation of HIV/Aids in Thailand, progress in treatment and care, and access to public health care services for HIV/Aids under the Universal Health Coverage Scheme (UHCS), the so-called the 30-Baht Scheme.
In addition, they debunked the misunderstanding behind HIV/Aids, which can help address stigma and discrimination that create self-doubt and shame among people living with HIV/Aids and keep them from getting the help and support they need.
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. Without proper treatment that controls the virus, the condition can progress to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
Speaking at the event, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chureeratana Bowonwatanuwong, president of the Thai Aids Society (TAS), noted that HIV can be treated with antiretroviral (ARV) medications.
“The drugs are now very effective in suppressing the virus. When people with HIV start taking the medicine as directed, the viral load drops quickly. It often becomes undetectable within three months."
"That means HIV-positive people will not pass on the virus to their partners via sex. They can live normal lives, have a family and a child like anyone else, the doctor said, adding that the ARV therapy can also prevent HIV."
According to her, Thailand has been providing the ARV therapy covered by the UHCS to people living with HIV since 2005.
Despite the effectiveness of medications, only 20% of people with HIV in Thailand are reported to have received the medicine. The country reports around 9,000 new HIV infections per year. Around 10,000 people die from HIV/AIDS-related illnesses per year.
“With proper treatment as prescribed, people living with HIV can live healthy lives. So, the sight of desperately thin patients is rare. Stigma around the infection should have died out. The suffering of patients should not be exploited any longer,” Dr. Chureeratana said.
She stressed that the country is not struggling with budget allocations for the national HIV response, saying a budget of over 3.5 billion baht is allocated for HIV treatment, and 689 million baht is set aside for HIV prevention on a yearly basis.
NHSO’s deputy secretary general Assist Prof. Dr. Yupadee Sirisinsuk noted that HIV is no longer a terminal illness thanks to advancements in treatment, saying the office has provided comprehensive free HIV treatment and prevention covered by the UHCS.
Under the scheme, HIV-positive pregnant women are eligible for medications that prevent them from passing the virus to their children. People who are at risk of getting HIV are provided access to condoms and HIV self-test kits.
The doctor urged individuals registered under the scheme to obtain the kits from drug stores, clinics and hospitals in the UHCS network and get tested for HIV to learn about their status.
In addition, the NHSO has worked with non-profit and community-based organizations to educate members of the community about HIV/Aids, as well as provide counseling and screening for members at risk of exposure to HIV.
PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis is given to HIV-negative people at risk of getting the virus to reduce the risk of HIV acquisition. Screenings for syphilis and Hepatitis B are also offered to people living with HIV, all free of charge.
According to Dr. Yupadee, around 450,000 people living with HIV are on medications and around 27,000 HIV-negative people are receiving the PrEP.
Thailand has been heralded as a global leader in HIV prevention and treatment. In 2024, the country earned praise from UNAIDS for doing well in assisting communities working with people living with HIV.
The 2030 national goals for HIV
Dr. Pongtorn Chartpituck, director of the Division of Aids and Sexually Transmitted Infections under the Ministry of Public Health’s Department of Disease Control (DDC), said the DDC has set an ambitious goal of reducing the number of new HIV infections to less than 1,000 and the number of people dying from HIV/Aids to less than 4,000 by 2030.
The department also aims to reduce the rate of stigma and discrimination around HIV/Aids, which undermines treatment efforts by 10%.
According to the DDC, in Thailand, an estimated 150,000 new infections of HIV were recorded in 1992.
Today, approximately 550,000 people in Thailand are living with HIV/Aids. Of these, more than 400,000 are taking the HIV medications as prescribed.
Being HIV positive is now a chronic disease.
The TAS’s committee member and advisor Professor Emeritus Dr. Praphan Phanuphak noted that being HIV-positive is not a death sentence.
“HIV/AIDS is manageable, treatable and preventable. With modern treatments, it’s considered a chronic disease for many patients today,” the doctor said.
He explained that people with HIV can become stronger and have healthy lives after taking the drugs for two months as directed, as the drugs will lower the amount of virus in their blood.
They can reach and maintain an undetectable viral load within three to six months. People living with HIV who are on medications and maintain an undetectable viral load will not spread the virus to their sexual partners.
People with HIV-negative status but who are at risk of infection can be treated with PrEP, which reduces the risk of getting HIV by up to 99% when taken as prescribed.
Dr. Praphan urged people to test for HIV to know their status, saying early detection of HIV can lead to prompt treatment, which can help improve people’s health outcomes and reduce their risk of spreading the virus.
“Having sex just once can put you at risk of getting HIV. Get tested,” he said.
Creating a caring environment for people living with HIV
Nimit Tienudom, president of the Sub-committee on Access to Care Services for HIV/ Aids, Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Tuberculosis, urged people to get tested for HIV to learn their status.
“Finding out your HIV status can help keep you and the people closest to you safe. It can help reduce spreading the virus and end HIV/Aids,” he said.
He suggested downloading the ‘Paotang’ app, which has a function that provides HIV self-test kits online. By clicking a button to receive a kit, the app will give the name of a drug store where you can get one.
Nimit urged HIV-positive people who are receiving care from temples and shelters and wishing to receive advice and help to contact the NHSO hotline at 1330 or the AIDS and Unplanned Pregnancy Counselling Hotline at 1663. The lines also provide advice on HIV screening.
He called on employers and heads of HR departments to make sure they are informed about the latest updates on HIV and progress in treatment.
“Being HIV-positive doesn’t prevent people from having a job. HIV is not transmitted by day-to-day activities at work,” he said, urging people to support people living with HIV and create an HIV inclusive and supportive workplace environment for them.
Nimit also urged doctors and health personnel to provide a prompt response to HIV-positive people, which can help stop spreading the virus and help them live healthy lives.
Yupa Sukreuang, president of HIV/Aids Network of Thailand noted that stigma and discrimination remain strong against people living with HIV in Thailand, which results in people at risk of HIV infection reluctant to have a screening test and receive treatment.
She said progress in treating people living with HIV has enabled them to work but they continue to face career discrimination, adding that some employers avoid hiring people who are HIV-positive.
“We need to work together to empower people living with HIV and encourage them to receive the help and support they need,” she said.
