La Thaïlande, premier pays d’Asie à éliminer la transmission du VIH de la mère à l’enfant

A baby boy sleeps on a mattress at Phranakhon Rajabhat University in Bangkok, the capital. The university is serving as an evacuation centre for people displaced by the flooding. Some 17,380 people are currently sheltering in more than 282 evacuation centres run by the Bangkok local government.

On 17 November 2011 in Thailand, some 5.3 million people, including more than 1.5 million children, remain affected by the countryís worst flooding in more than 50 years. Nearly 600 people, including 84 children, have been killed. The disaster, caused by unusually heavy monsoon rains and tropical storms that began in late July, has inundated more than one-fifth of the country; damaged or destroyed homes, schools, health facilities, roads and other vital infrastructure; and devastated crops, industry, livelihoods and the economy. Many people in flood-affected areas are living in temporary shelters, where they are receiving food, drinking water, medicine, and basic health services. Over 100,000 people are sheltering in evacuation centres, including more than 10,000 in Bangkok, the capital. Though the waters have begun to recede, safe drinking water and sanitation are a major concern as stagnant water and the improper disposal of garbage and human excreta increase the risk of disease. UNICEF has earmarked an initial US $1.2 million to support emergency relief and recovery interventions. Working with the Government, other UN agencies and NGOs, UNICEF is providing insecticide-treated mosquito nets, water purification items, soap, garbage bags and other WASH supplies to help prevent the spread of disease; distributing information materials on protecting childrenís health in emergencies; and supporting the establishment of child-friendly spaces to provide safe recreation and psychosocial support for children. UNICEF is also supporting training for government and local NGO staff and volunteers at evacuation centres on registration and child protection measures, including to p