Ministry of Foreign Affairs co-organizes the Asia - Pacific Regional Dialogue on the Status of the HIV Epidemic and Response

Ministry of Foreign Affairs co-organizes the Asia - Pacific Regional Dialogue on the Status of the HIV Epidemic and Response

Ministry of Foreign Affairs co-organizes the Asia - Pacific Regional Dialogue on the Status of the HIV Epidemic and Response

On 22 May 2026, Mr. Chettaphan Maksamphan, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, delivered opening remarks at the Asia-Pacific Regional Dialogue on the Status of the HIV Epidemic and Response at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with Dr. Montien Kanasawadse, Director-General of the Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, and Ms. Mathilde Terayu, Charge d'Affaires of the Embassy of France in Bangkok. Ms. Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS, and Mr. Eamonn Murphy, UNAIDS Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, delivered keynote speeches. More than 120 participants joined the event both in person and online, including members of the diplomatic corps in Thailand, representatives from international organizations, and representatives of civil society organizations across the region.

The Deputy Permanent Secretary emphasized the importance of participation both in the regional dialogue and in the negotiation and adoption of the Political Declaration of the High-level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, in order to help shape future directions for ending HIV/AIDS based on the principle of a sustainable response.

During the panel discussion among representatives from government agencies, international organizations, and civil society under the theme "Regional Perspectives on Lessons Learned, Challenges, and Key Priorities for Accelerating Action towards Achieving and Sustaining HIV Epidemic Control in the Region," participants exchanged information and views on the status of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Asia-Pacific region, Thailand's achievements and lessons learned in responding to HIV/AIDS, particularly the inclusion of benefits for people living with HIV and patients under the universal health coverage scheme, the need to establish strong public health financing systems and reduce dependence on foreign assistance, as well as the importance of international and cross-sectoral cooperation. Ms. Pinsuda Jayanama, Director-General of the Department of International Organizations, delivered concluding remarks and officially closed the Regional Dialogue.

The Regional Dialogue was co-organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Public Health, the Embassy of France in Bangkok, and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). The event aimed to raise awareness of the challenges posed by HIV/AIDS, as infections have increased in many countries, particularly among young people. It also provided an opportunity to exchange information to support negotiations on the draft Political Declaration of the High-level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, scheduled to be held on 22 - 23 June 2026 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.