ACCESS
ACCESS
Executive Director: Mr. Jon Ungphakorn
About ACCESS
ACCESS is a Thai non-profit organization
established in early 1991 to join in social efforts to control and to
cope with the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Thailand from a humanitarian and
human/social development perspective. ACCESS serves the general
public, with particular emphasis on the economically and socially
disadvantaged. At present ACCESS operations mainly cover the greater
Bangkok (urban) area, and the Chiangrai-Payao (rural) area of northern
Thailand. We operate out of the offices in Bangkok and Chiangrai.
ACCESS's Services and Activities
- Anonymous telephone counselling on AIDS for the general
public and for people living with HIV/AIDS and their families.
- Anonymous counselling for people living with HIV/AIDS and their
families at ACCESS offices (by appointment through helpline numbers),
and at Siriraj Hospital's HIV/AIDS clinic
- Health clinics for
people living with HIV/AIDS
- Support groups and group
activities for people living with HIV/AIDS
- Home visits and
home-care support for people living with HIV/AIDS and their
families
- Radio programmes for people living with HIV/AIDS and
their families
- Radio programme of sex education for youth
- Community outreach peer-education programmes with full-time
community workers (Bangkok and Chiangrai)
- Training programmes
on sex/AIDS education for young people, urban workers etc.
- Publications on AIDS
ACCESS counselling and support
services are free of charge except for medicines which are provided at
cost price or less, depending on the client's financial status. The
identities of all clients remain anonymous, unless they voluntarily
give their name/address for contact purposes or home visits.
ACCESS counselling and support services serve around 4,000 people each
year, including around 800 people living with HIV/AIDS and around 400
partners/family members. Over 80 clients living with HIV/AIDS have
joined the ACCESS support groups based in Bangkok and Chiangrai.
In its counselling and education activities, ACCESS is non-judgemental
about clients' lifestyles and sexual practices. ACCESS aims to
contribute to the empowerment of people to practice AIDS prevention in
their own way, and supports open discussion of sexual practices and
issues in Thai society.
At present, ACCESS has 16 full-time core
staff, 24 full-time community workers, and around 25 volunteers
working as telephone counsellors. ACCESS provides special employment
opportunities to people living with HIV/AIDS.
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