This paper is an attempt to address one of the current issues regarding the AIDS epidemic currently existing in many Third World countries. The discussion will focus on Thailand, the first country in Asia to be hit by the epidemic (Baker, 1).

AIDS is a mass phenomenon and complex issue. Within the scope of this term paper, the discussions will highlight on Thailand’s background, the current AIDS situation, the cultural factors contributing to the AIDS epidemic, the financial crisis’ impact on public health, and the progress of AIDS research internationally.

According to the World Factbook, “a unified Thai kingdom was established in the mid-14th century; it was known as Siam until 1939

8. Skrobanek Siriporn & Boompakdi, Nattaya & Janthakeero, Chutima

Website: www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/th.htm

In terms of industrialization level, The World Bank considers Thailand a “developing” country even though the manufacturing sector has doubled as a percentage of GDP from 14 percent in 1963 to 28 percent in 1996. While Thailand has passed two out of the three “tests” of industrialization; it remains a developing country because not at least 10 percent of its workforces are employed in industry as required by the Sutchiffe’s test number three (Thomas, 16).

The Thai AIDS control campaign has attained international recognition as the first in the developing world to halt the growing incidence of new cases of HIV (World Bank, 1999). However, there are still flaws in Thailand’s health care systems. For example, health care in Thailand is financed primarily through four types of programs: voluntary health insurance, which covers between 2.2 and 3.6 million people; mandatory programs like Workmen’s Compensation and Social Security cover firms with 10 or more employees; social welfare programs which help lower-income families, the elderly, and other vulnerable groups; fringe benefits are provided by large private firms, government agencies and state enterprises (World Bank, 1999). Yet, these various financing schemes are not rationalized, so several different programs cover some people, while others receive no coverage at all. The World Bank estimated that 23 million people are not covered by any financing scheme. These individuals are typically among the poorest in society, slum dwellers, subsistence farmers, rural workers, and the self-employed; a national system of hospitals and clinics provided free or low payment services to those poor and lower income segments of society prior to the economic crisis. However, the Government of Thailand has drastically slashed the budget for these programs during the “hard” times. Meanwhile, the Government has proposed drug management reform, and planned to set up a "good health at low cost" measure, which provides one-stop essential public health services to the unemployed (World Bank, 1999).

Website: www.utopia-asia.com/aidsth.html

Some topics in this essay:
World Bank, Measles DPT, Kelleher Klein, Development Plans, Thai Culture, AIDS Thailand, Syndrome AIDS, Third World, HIV-infected Thais, GDP Despite, world bank, world bank 1999, health care, bank 1999, public health, skrobanek/boonpakdi/janthakeero 1997, world factbook, klein 1999, utopia-asia 1998, kelleher klein, kelleher klein 1999, level world bank, klein 1999 119, sex industry, thai culture 1999,