Thanprasertsuk, SombatLertpiriyasuwat, CheewananLeusaree, TasanaSirinirund, PetchsriSumanapan, SurinChariyalertsak, ChonlisaSimmons, NicoleEllerbrock, Tedd VSiraprapasiri, TaweesapYachompoo, ChirapornPanputtanakul, SaowaneeVirapat, PongsriSupakalin, PanpakaSrithaniviboonchai, KriengkraiMock, PhilipSupawitkul, SomsakTappero, Jordan WLevine, William C2009-05-272009-05-272006-01-15Thanprasertsuk S, Lertpiriyasuwat C, Leusaree T, Sirinirund P, Sumanapan S, Chariyalertsak C, Simmons N, Ellerbrock TV, Siraprapasiri T, Yachompoo C, Panputtanakul S, Virapat P, Supakalin P, Srithaniviboonchai K, Mock P, Supawitkul S, Tappero JW, Levine WC. HIV/AIDS care and treatment in three provinces in northern Thailand before the national scale-up of highly-active antiretroviral therapy. The Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health. 2006 Jan; 37(1): 83-9http://imsear.searo.who.int/handle/123456789/34124The Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health.In 2003, Thailand launched a program to place 50,000 persons on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) by the end of 2004, following a series of efforts since the early 1990s to develop comprehensive HIV/AIDS care services. To evaluate existing services and needs in advance of the national HAART scale-up, in 2002 we surveyed 31 hospitals and 389 community health centers in three northern Thai provinces, and interviewed 1,015 HIV-infected patients attending outpatient clinics. All hospitals offered voluntary HIV counseling and testing, 84% provided primary prophylaxis for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, 58% for tuberculosis, 39% for cryptococcal meningitis, and 87% had some experience providing antiretroviral therapy. Community health centers provided more limited service coverage. Of patients interviewed, 63% had been diagnosed with symptomatic HIV disease, and of these, 32% reported ever receiving antiretroviral therapy; 51 % of all patients had received a CD4 T-lymphocyte count. Thailand's current national HAART scale-up is being performed in a setting of well-developed hospital-based services introduced over the course of the epidemic.engAIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections --prevention & controlAdolescentAdultAntiretroviral Therapy, Highly ActiveCommunity Health ServicesHIV Infections --drug therapyHealth Care SurveysHumansOutpatient Clinics, HospitalPatient Education as Topic --organization & administrationPatient RightsQuality of Health CareThailandJournal Article