Biography - Mechai Viravaidya

Mechai Viravaidya is the Founder/Chairman of the Population and Community Development Association (PDA), one of Thailand's largest and most successful private, non-profit development organizations. Since 1974, PDA has initiated community-based family planning services, poverty reduction, rural development and environmental programs, as well as HIV / AIDS prevention activities throughout Thailand. Mr. Mechai played a large role in the success of Thailand's national family planning program, which resulted in one of the most rapid fertility declines in the modern era as the rate of annual population growth declined from over 3% in 1974 to 0.8% in 2002, and the average number of children per family fell from seven to under two.

Mr. Mechai was appointed to the Thai Senate in 1987 and again in 1997; each term for three years. Then in 2000, under Thailand's new constitution, he was elected to serve a six-year term. He was appointed as a Minister to the Office of the Prime Minister in 1991 and 1992, when he assisted Prime Minister Anand Panyarachun as the chief architect in establishing a comprehensive national HIV/AIDS prevention policy and program. This initiative is regarded as the most outstanding national effort by any country, and by 2004 Thailand had experienced a 90% reduction in new infections of HIV.

He has also served as Government Spokesman, Deputy Minister of Industry, CEO of the Provincial Waterworks Authority, Chairman of Krung Thai Bank and the Telephone Organization of Thailand. He was appointed as the Ambassador for UNAIDS in 1999.

Mr. Mechai has received numerous awards including 1997 the United Nations Population Award, the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Public Service in 1994, the Paul Hoffman Award and the United Nations Gold Peace Medal in 1981. He has been granted decorations from the Governments of Thailand, Australia and the Federal Republic of Germany. He was a Visiting Scholar at the Harvard Institute of International Development in 1988-89, and holds several honorary doctorate degrees from Universities in Thailand and abroad.