NHSO joins the national effort to end AIDS by 2030
 
December 1, 2020 — National Health Security Office (NHSO) joins the national effort to end AIDS by 2030 and vowed to improve benefits package for people living with HIV.
 
On World AIDS Day, Department of Disease Control under Public Health Ministry launched a campaign “Walk Together: AIDS, live together, end stigma” to encourage multi-sectoral collaboration on changing society’s perception toward people living with HIV.
 
World AIDS Day takes place on 1 December each year, an occasion for people worldwide to show their solidarity in fighting AIDS and support HIV patients.
 





Dr. Rattaphon Triamwichanon, assistance to NHSO secretary-general, said that NHSO had joined the campaign and participated in the National AIDS Strategy 2017–2030, which target to end the AIDS epidemic in Thailand by 2030. 
 
NHSO, which oversees the Universal Heath scheme (UCS), has worked closely with the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) to distribute free antiretroviral drugs to HIV patients and support the movement to end discrimination and stigma against people living with HIV.
 
Since the introduction of HIV and AIDS services in the UCS benefits package in 2005, many services have been developed and improved to ensure patients’ access to blood tests and antiretroviral treatment. The services include;
 
-Access to free antiretroviral medication regardless of CD4 count.
-Antiretroviral drugs for the prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission.
-Antigen/antibody test
-HIV monitoring program
-Hepatitis C virus testing and treatment
-Tuberculosis radiology for every new HIV patient
-Access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Providing free PrEP to people at high risk of getting HIV is piloted in 2020, targeting 2,000 people in 50 health units across Thailand. The target will be increased to 5,000 people in 153 units in 2021.
 
-Reach-Recruit-Test-Treat- Retain (RRTTR) service package targeting 77,000 HIV patients in 2020 and 105,000 in 2021.  
 
According to NHSO data, HIV and AIDS services are provided to 309,169 patients under UCS in 2020. Ninety-one percent of them have received antiretroviral treatment, while 73 percent are reported to have effective treatments. They can sustain HIV viral suppression and gain immunological recovery.
 
The Thai government has increased the budget for HIV and AIDS services each year. In 2021, NHSO receives around 3.67 billion baht to cover HIV and AIDS services under UCS, increases from 3.59 billion baht in the previous year.
 
“Management of HIV and AIDS services reflects the collaboration across multi sectors, including public and private sectors and civil society, making the AIDS situation in Thailand improves,” said Dr. Rattaphon.
 
“However, discrimination and stigma against people living with HIV still exist. We believe that working on a campaign such as Walk Together will lead to the end of discrimination and stigma soon.”