Number of people with HIV in Bangkok reaches almost 78,000
There are a total of 77,970 people living with HIV in Bangkok and 2,205 were registered this year, a deputy governor of the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said.
Thaweesak Lertpraphan revealed the figures at the BMA meeting yesterday on the latest HIV statistics.
Thaweesak said most of the newly-infected are 14 to 24 years old, and 68 per cent of them are male homosexuals.
He said 2,205 new recorded infection this year, or about six persons a day, was too high. The BMA aims at bringing down the infection rate to about 900 a year, or 2.4 a day, by 2020.
By 2030, the BMA hopes to bring down the rate to 500 a year.
He said the BMA would ensure that newly-infected persons can get quick access to anti-viral drugs to prevent the condition from escalating to AIDS.
He said HIV infected people can get the drug from all 68 BMA clinics or other government-run hospitals.
