HIV/AIDS prevention in Thailand: success and challenges
Phoolcharoen, W.
Science 280(5371): 1873-1874
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-8075 PMID: 9669947 DOI: 10.1126/science.280.5371.1873Document Number: 241002
Part of a special section on AIDS research. The spread of HIV in Thailand has been slowed dramatically, even though nearly 1 million people there are infected. Thailand has made substantial progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS because of prevention approaches and policies that were initially based on research and evaluation and then received the necessary level of commitment to implementation and funding, with the result that sexual behaviors have changed significantly. A major element of the Thai program's success has been the willingness of the government to change direction as knowledge of the level of risk behavior grew and the social, economic, and cultural foundations of the epidemic were understood. The history of HIV/AIDS prevention in Thailand is outlined, and the remaining challenges are examined.