In Thailand, FHI 360 implements HIV and AIDS prevention, care and treatment interventions and provides technical assistance to the government of Thailand and local community-based organizations to strengthen services for people living with HIV and populations with a high likelihood of exposure to HIV. FHI 360 is also working on other health-related concerns. The Better Health Programme, implemented with PwC, is standardizing medical education, improving digital health and strengthening preventative medicine for noncommunicable diseases through funding from the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s Prosperity Fund.
In collaboration with the National TB Program, FHI 360 recently launched a five-year program, Control and Prevention of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (CAP-TB), to reduce incidence and mortality related to multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB in central Rayong province. The program uses a strategic model as a framework to identify focused interventions within the context of the existing Thailand national and provincial TB programs. Activities include the introduction of new diagnostics, strengthening community and facility linkages, and referral and patient tracking through a call center.
Beyond HIV and MDR-TB, FHI 360 provides clinical research services, laboratory services and product quality control (PQC) services. We have supported clinical research studies on malaria, HIV, and human and avian influenza for development agencies and pharmaceutical companies. We also operate a diagnostics and research laboratory that provides diagnostic testing services across the region.
Additionally, FHI 360 provides technical assistance to laboratories on accreditation in accordance with international standards. We provide assessment and training and build the capacity of local partner laboratories so they may assume in-country testing. Our ongoing laboratory strengthening work has improved the quality of the voluntary counseling and testing services in Thailand and increased availability of early diagnosis of infant HIV infection.
In 2006, FHI 360 established the Product Quality and Compliance (PQC) laboratory in Bangkok. The Bangkok laboratory provides sampling and testing services of medical devices for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and other clients. The rigorous testing ensures that the medical devices and pharmaceuticals reaching consumers meet international quality standards. In 2011, for example, USAID procured more than 700 million male latex condoms (about 2,500 lots) for their programs from male condom suppliers located in Asia. The PQC laboratory in Bangkok tested approximately 40 percent of these lots. The remaining 60 percent were tested at the PQC laboratory in North Carolina.
Bangkok is also home to FHI 360’s Asia Pacific Regional Office, which supports our country programs in the region.