Students from Pattaya and Banglamung
show up in force at the parade, holding signs announcing the campaign.
Phasakorn Channgam
Public officials, educators and health professionals in Pattaya marked World
AIDS Day with a parade and educational exhibition.
The Service Workers in Group Foundation, Sisters for Foundation, World Vision
Foundation of Thailand, Father Ray Foundation, hoteliers, public health
volunteers, and students from Pattaya and Banglamung schools participated in the
Dec. 1 parade from Central Festival Pattaya Beach to Pattaya School No. 8.
Marchers carried signs in Thai and English with AIDS information, passed out
condoms to those watching and finished at School No. 8 for educational
activities.
Representatives from health and AIDS
services march in the parade.
Pattaya Public Health Director Suphaporn Cherdchaipum and
City Councilman Choosak Sriwatjanapong spoke about the 1.2 million of Thailand’s
67 million people who are infected with the HIV virus.
“Pattaya, as a tourism city with diversity including many businesses and
entertainment venues from all over the country, has many youths, all of whom are
at risk for AIDS and do not always have the correct understanding of the
disease,” Suphaporn said.
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.
Members of the Service Workers in
Group Foundation spread the word - “let’s get AIDS down to Zero!”
Officials and friends take to the
stage on World AIDS Day, announcing the new policy “Getting to zero”.
People from all walks of life march
in the parade to reiterate the risks of spreading or contracting HIV.
