Roles of the Royal Thai Army Medical Department in supporting the country to fight against HIV/AIDS: 18 years of experience and success.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are global major public health problems and have a major impact on social and economic development. Thailand has been affected from HIV/AIDS epidemic since the first AIDS case was reported in 1984, making the cumulative number of reported AIDS cases more than 160,000 and estimated HIV-infected people more than 1,000,000 by the end of 2004 and more than 300,000 of them are dead. There has been a strong national response to this scourge by multi-sectoral cooperation and many evidences show Thailand's success in HIV/ AIDS control. The Royal Thai Army Medical Department has played an important role in supporting the country to fight against HIV/AIDS since 1987 by providing HIV/AIDS education to army personnel, families and civilians. It has established the sero-surveillance system in young Thai men entering the army since 1989 and behavioral surveillance system since 1991. The other important activities have been training of personnel, care and research, especially for an HIV vaccine. It facilitates the research that the army conscripts which represent young Thai men are used as samples. The experience of the RTA Medical Department and the civil-military alliance against HIV/AIDS of Thailand are good lessons for other developing countries to learn and adopt the strategies in the battle against HIV/AIDS.
Saengdidtha
Boonterm
B
Royal Thai Army Medical Department, Phramongkutklao College of Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand. boonterms@yahoo.com
Rangsin
Ram
R
D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008887:Military Medicine; D011634:Public Health; D012109:Research Support as Topic; D013785:Thailand