The Development of Integrated Strategies to Relieve AIDS Problems among Targeted Labor Groups: Case Study in Thailand

[Chawee Paenghom]

The Development of Integrated Strategies to Relieve AIDS Problems among Targeted Labor Groups: Case Study in Thailand

                                                               Miss Chawee Paenghom

                                                             Seoul National University

                            Introduction                                                                               

Nearly thirty years into the epidemic, AIDS still continues to challenge all of Thai people’s efforts in Thailand. It is a complex issue that demands collective responses from all sectors of Thai society nationwide.  Unsafe sexual intercourse of adults and premature age groups is still the number one HIV infection cause in Thailand. These people are recognized as a sexually active group. The majority of these people are in the labor force, age 18-60 years old. They work in both formal and informal economic sectors. They are the most risky age groups for HIV infection whether they are white or blue collar workers; full-skilled, semi-skilled, or unskilled workers. Importantly, they are breadwinners of their families. Both AIDS and Labor Networks shared that workers lack of access to HIV/AIDS information, gain inaccurate understanding, and lack of interest to know more about the issue which lead them to vulnerability and HIV infection. Possible integrated strategies must take into account of the context integration between AIDS and labor networks, as well as work process integration of the two organizations with specific characteristics.   

The purpose of the study   

The study aimed to study constituents’ working characteristics, Thai workers’ opinions on integrated working and guidelines for development of integrated strategies to relieve AIDS problems among targeted labor groups.

Research methodology   

Methods of study include: 1) a survey of opinions of 155 executive and operational AIDS workers by using a questionnaire 2) a small discussion group of 16 backbones of social movement leaders to consider highlights from the survey, and special interviews with two active AIDS movement pushers. 3) Percentage and relationship tests among variables at comparative different values of 0.10 are applied for the analysis of data.

Results

The study finds that the sampling groups are more females than males. Most of them work with their present organizations less than 14 years. The characteristics of the organizations are more in connection with AIDS than labor and have specific scope of work. Personal factors effecting difference in the stipulation of integrated strategies are gender, duration of work with present organization, the scope of work, position, working areas, fixation of targeted groups, and exchange of information.  

Recommendations

1) The government should raise or address the policy on AIDS issues as a national agenda

2) All concerns stimulate proactive work of the National Task Force on AIDS and revise its work structure

3) Labor and AIDS networks including their constituents constantly update information on AIDS, and allocate budget for new activities.

4) The networks should consider the importance of joint work contents

[Chawee Paenghom]

 Thank you for sharing Ning from Seoul. I am not based in Korea, just a PhD student. I'll contact him sometimes. 

 

[Rituu B. Nanda]

Thanks Chawee for posting. Please elaborate more on your experience on collective response to HIV. Warm greetings! Are you based in Korea or Thailand? We have a new member on Ning from Seoul. Matthias http://aidscompetence.ning.com/profile/MatthiasLehmann?xg_source=pr...

[Chawee Paenghom]

The study emphasizes and encourages the collective collaboration between AIDS and Labor Networks in Thailand.