Partnership to Fight HIV/AIDS in Thailand

PEPFAR Thailand's focus on HIV prevention issues such as behavior change among men who have sex with men (MSM) and prevention with positives has resulted in model programs that are now being expanded to new parts of the country. Models are based on the concept of a comprehensive prevention package that includes the minimum combination of services needed to have a significant impact on the spread of HIV and include strategies such as outreach to communities where most-at-risk groups gather, drop-in centers, linked

prevention services, counseling and testing centers that are friendly to high risk groups, and condom and lubricant distribution. The USG-supported models for high-risk groups will be expanded from urban centers to northern Thailand in FY 2009. Similarly, the USG-supported model for prevention with prisoners will be expanded from one correctional facility to five additional sites. The PEPFAR program in Thailand strategically fills gaps in the Royal Thai Government's national response to the HIV epidemic and plays a critical role in promoting quality improvement and transferring technical skills to the host country. PEPFAR will strengthen technical support for a continuum of prevention and care model targeting men who have sex with men in four provinces that have a high HIV burden among their MSM populations. The U.S. Government will also expand the use of a comprehensive prevention model for positives and develop a curriculum for HIV prevention to be used with HIV-positive injecting drug users. In addition, the PEPFAR program will pilot and expand technical and organizational capacity building support to most-at-risk populations, including those that advocate at the provincial level for services for most-at-risk populations.