Health
Thailand’s Ministry of Health to Re-Install Condom Vending Machines at Schools
The Ministry of Public Health is planning to slowly revive an earlier drive to install condom vending machines inside educational institutes.
BANGKOK – Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Yuthavong, in his capacity as the chairman of the national committee for AIDS prevention and resolution, disclosed that the decision to endorse the ‘national condom strategy’ was reached at a meeting on Tuesday.
According to Yongyuth Yuthavong, coin-operated condom vending machines will be installed at educational institutes. The machines will first be put up at vocational education institutes, whereas other types of institutes will gradually get the vending machines within four years’ time. The slow pace of implementation was because of expected opposition from civil society groups.
Yongyuth Yuthavong revealed further that the meeting also endorsed the proposal for the use of technology to allow members of the public to receive ‘self-tests’ for HIV infection that would allow them to quickly access treatment channels after learning of their infection. A more detailed plan for this initiative will be yielded by June. – NNT
