US funding cuts for Aids-HIV fight

Humanitarian aid freeze highlights need for greater self-reliance, advocates say, writes Poramet Tangsathaporn

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Thailand’s success in battling the HIV/Aids epidemic has been due, in part, to two major sources of funding from the United States: the US President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

The country has been making sure HIV/Aids patients get treatment and those with high risks of contracting HIV including men who have sex with men (MSM), transgender women (TGW), sex workers (SW), migrant workers, and drug users all benefit from these funds.

However, the recent presidential executive order to freeze humanitarian funding across the world has hindered Thailand's effort to protect its citizen's health as well as contribut-ing to the United Nations’ goal to end the HIV/Aids pandemic by 2030.

STATS MATTER

Surang Janyam, director of Service Workers in Group Foundation (SWING), said Thailand's success in HIV control was due to the outreach effort by civil organisations especially to those with limited access to HIV/ Aids treatment.

Nearly 600,000 individuals were targeted by the RRTTPR (Reach, Recruit, Test, Treat, Prevent, and Retain) framework by civil organisations, the National Health Security Office said last year.

The government, meanwhile, reached just under 100,000 people with its efforts.

Ms Surang said NGOs were largely funded by PEPFAR and USAID, which allowed them to provide blood testing and other HIV/Aids related services for free.

The funding is mostly spent on buying HIV testing equipment, paying office rents and salary. US President Donald Trump's executive order, however, led to many community-led services shutting down, said Ms Surang.