Cross-border workers play a significant role in the economic development of Thailand, filling labor market shortages. However, health issues of these workers pose a challenge, despite Thailand's health policy for cross-border workers.
HIV/AIDS currently remains a significant health challenge for these workers due to lack of access to the healthcare system for HIV care and prevention. This necessitates international cooperation. The Thai Disease Control Department has organized a meeting to develop cooperation for the treatment of HIV/AIDS in the border area between Thailand and Cambodia. This marks a significant step in fostering public health cooperation between the two countries, promoting access to antiretroviral HIV treatment for cross-border workers, and developing a cross-country referral service system. The objective is to provide continuous care, reduce morbidity and mortality, promote good health, and reduce HIV transmission.
At the same time, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) serves as one of the partners voluntarily coordinating cooperation between the two countries to improve the quality of life of HIV-infected Cambodian workers in Thailand. AHF has offices both in Thailand and Cambodia.
There are proposals and plans for two levels of joint action: Area-based, such as piloting a model for developing HIV care and referral between the twin border cities of Thailand and Cambodia, developing a primary health care model in cooperation with civil society and the private sector to expand convenient and effective access to services for cross-border workers.
And policy-based, such as organizing a high-level leaders' forum between the two countries to support cross-border workers' access to HIV care in a borderless manner, upgrading cooperation to the regional or sub-regional level to support access to antiretroviral drugs for cross-border workers who lack rights.
The dialogue between the two countries marks a starting point leading to a seamless international health care system for HIV in the future.
Data updated on April 27, 2023
Source: The Disease Control Department, the Public Relations Division, Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Health, 88/20 Moo 4, Talat Khwan Subdistrict, Mueang District, Nonthaburi 11000
Tel. +66 2590 1000
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