$2.8m set aside for AIDS projects

$2.8m set aside for AIDS projects

BANGKOK (AFP): The Thai government has approved a budget of 70 million baht (US$2.8 million) to help private organizations combat AIDS here next year, a news report said yesterday.

Sanguan Nitayarumphong, permanent secretary of the Public Health Ministry, told representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) Thursday in the beach resort of Pattaya that the allocation was seven times this year's budget, the Bangkok Post reported.

Sanguan said it was the first time the government was funding projects proposed by the NGOs themselves, and that the government was increasing its support for NGOs because it realizes they can get closer to the public than some state agencies.

But the budget still is only half of what the 22 NGOs had asked for, he said.