Thailand has provided antiretroviral medications to the roughly 10,000 of its 50,000 children under the age of 15 who were living with HIV as of 2006, up 40 percent from the previous year, IRIN Asia reports (irinnews.org, 4/23).
According to the article, Thailand’s success in treating HIV among children can be directly attributed to its increase in overall AIDS awareness, which include enforcing condom use in commercial sex establishments and a 2003 commitment by its federal government to provide universal antiretrovirals. In 2007, Thailand committed to putting children at the forefront in its fight against the virus.
“For children, small things can make a big difference,” said Thai social worker Chutima Salsaengjan, of the We Understand Group, a nongovernment organization that serves positive children. “It’s important to treat the illness but also important to help the children cope.”
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