Parade to cap Pattaya’s
World AIDS Day observance
Warunya Thongrod
Public officials, educators and health professionals in Pattaya will
again mark World AIDS Day Dec. 1 with a parade to cap four days of
disease-awareness activities.
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome kicked off the Nov. 26-30 AIDS awareness campaign
Nov. 25, highlighting awareness activities and distribution of condoms to
schools, hotels and community organizations.
Every year the World Health Organization designates Dec. 1 as World AIDS Day
with this year’s theme again being “Getting to Zero.” Organizers promoted a
message of reducing the number of new HIV infections, AIDS deaths and
stigmas associated with carrying the disease.
The Dec. 1 march will begin at 3 p.m. at Central and Beach roads and finish
at Pattaya School No. 8 where community groups, singers and students will
put on various performances.
“We hope that the yearly walk campaign will help reduce HIV-infected
individuals in the area and follow World Health Organization policies on
World AIDS Day,” Itthiphol said.
The mayor said 1.2 million of Thailand’s 67 million people are infected with
the HIV virus, although many cases have not developed into full-blown AIDS.
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