Thailand to reduce new HIV cases by 2/3 within 2016

BANGKOK, December 3 (TNA) - Thailand's Ministry of Public Health has targeted to reduce new HIV infection cases in the country by two thirds over the next five years. Thai Permanent Secretary for Public Health Vichai Thienthavorn announced the target when presiding over a ceremony in Bangkok on Thursday, marking the 2011 World AIDS Day, when UNAIDS also launched its global campaign against HIV/AIDS under the theme "Getting to Zero", which refers to zero infection, zero death and zero discrimination, to mark the 30th anniversary of global fight against HIV/AIDS. Dr. Vichai said that his ministry will join the UNAIDS global campaign, as ordered by Public Health Minister Wittaya Buranasiri, through three reductions in new HIV infections, in obstacles to HIV/AIDS patients' access to timely and sufficient medical services and healthcare and in discrimination against people living with/or infected with HIV/AIDS until achieving the "zero" target in all. According to the senior official, accumulated HIV/AIDS cases in Thailand have reached 1.14 million so far, more than 641,000 of them have died and the number of new HIV infection cases in Thailand is to be reduced to no more than 6,731 by 2016, from an expected 10,097 cases this year, to meet the "getting to zero" target. (TNA)