The Public Health Ministry has saved between Bt500 million and Bt600 million by controversially overriding the patents on some HIV/Aids drug cocktails. This allows cheaper generic versions to be produced locally instead of having to buy the expensive original product.

Public Health Minister Dr Mongkol na Songkhla said the savings meant the ministry could kick off its prevention campaign without waiting for the new budget round.

"In addition to treatment, prevention is key to fighting HIV/Aids," he said.

In 1991 state spending on prevention campaigns was about Bt420 million. But that was slashed under the previous government's low-cost universal healthcare scheme, he said.

Today HIV/Aids education campaigns receive just Bt20 million a year. This results in lowered public awareness of HIV infection, Mongkol said.

The Disease Control Department revealed new HIV infection rates in certain population groups was on a worrying upward trend. It blamed this on lack of awareness.

"We have 100-per-cent condom access but 100 per cent of the people do not use them," Mongkol said.

Last week the ministry met with UNAids, which expressed concern over HIV infection trends in Thailand - a country that had succeeded in reducing new infections among sex workers and clients, he reported.

At present, about 70 per cent of new HIV-infection cases are sex workers and clients. The remainder are those engaging in casual, unsafe sex, he said.

The country's past world-acclaimed success in fighting HIV among sex workers may be hard to revisit. Prostitution has changed and much of it now remains under the radar, he added.

The ministry will lead other government departments and non-governmental agencies such as People Living with HIV/Aids to bring the issue back into the public eye, Mongkol promised.

Arthit Khwankhom

The Nation