Cambodians Unite to Prevent HIV/AIDS

By Soy Sophea

The Cambodian health officials and Non-Governmental Organizations have reaffirmed their commitment to combat HIV/AIDS and to eliminate discrimination against sufferers of the disease in Cambodia.

Bun Rany Hun Sen, President of the Cambodian Red Cross (CRC), said that in recent years, Cambodia as a developing nation has suffered as the virus made its presence felt. She said that the as yet incurable disease has killed thousands of Cambodians and lead to greater hardships for communities and the nation as a whole.

“I have witnessed the hardships endured by the victims of HIV/AIDS for myself,” said First Lady Bun Rany, who spent World AIDS Day, December 1, visiting victims of the disease. These visits inspired her to rededicate future World AIDS Days to alleviating the suffering of victims and diluting the corrosive power of discrimination.

The President Bun Rany noted that this disease does not discriminate between rich and poor. It is always ready to exploit any opportunity afforded by the victim’s failure to protect against viral attack. She listed unprotected sexual activity and needle sharing as activities that promoted the spread of the disease.

“I would like to take this opportunity to send my message of support to all HIV/AIDS patients and I ask you not to give up hope in your lives. If you follow the guidelines set out by medical staff, you should be able to lead long and productive lives. Your families, communities and society as a whole will not abandon or keep you away from the opportunities the nation has to offer,” she said.

Nuth Sokhom, Chairman of National AIDS Authority (NAA), said during the World AIDS Day that AIDS is a disease without vaccine or cure and that sufferers could expect the disease to have a seriously negative impact, not just on themselves, but upon their family, their community and greater society. He noted that the onset of the virus had placed great strains on the nation’s human resources and ability to generate income.

Referring to the latest figures, he said that 33.2 million cases of HIV had been recorded across the globe, whilst the disease claimed 2.1 million lives in the previous year.

As for Cambodia, in 2007 there were 67,500 cases of HIV/AIDS. As these unfortunate people inevitably succumbed to the disease, they leave behind dependents that become a serious burden to society, according to Sokhom.

However, his assessment was not all doom and gloom. He pointed to Cambodia’s outstanding record in reducing the prevalence of the disease. Thanks to cooperation between the government, legislative bodies, religious groups and the general public, HIV infection rates had dropped from a high of 2 percent in 1998 to 0.9 percent in 2006. Out of 3,518 tests conducted over the course of November 28, 69 individuals returned HIV positive indications. This equates to a current prevalence rate of 1.9 %. The testing campaign was conducted in eight provinces throughout Cambodia and was expanded to cover the weekend. In total, the country expects over 30,000 HIV tests to be conducted during the campaign.

“We still have many things to do to change this issue from being a national tragedy to something that we can control and eventually eradicate. We must continue to translate the national strategic plan for a comprehensive and multi-sectoral response to HIV/AIDS into action,” he said.

He continued that the integrated strategy sought input from a range of programs with contributions made through a decentralization process. With an assurance of full participation from all affected walks of life, project sustainability was assured.

Teng Kunthy, Secretary General of the National AIDS Authority (NAA), said that this year marks the World’s twentieth World AIDS Day and the sixteenth such event for Cambodia, first commemorated here in 1993. The theme for this year’s World AIDS Day is “STOP AIDS: KEEP THE PROMISE.”

“Every year, the NAA plays a coordinating role among development partners to organize campaigns to highlight the continuing relevance of the day. Our goal is to spread vital information to all levels, starting with the higher administrative levels of government, down to community level. We set ourselves a timescale of two weeks to spread the latest information about the disease to all levels of society,” he said in his statement.

Alice Levisay, Deputy Chair of the United Nations Theme Group on AIDS, said that Cambodia has led the way in reducing prevalence and achieving the Millennium Development Goal for AIDS. This has been achieved under the guidance of the National AIDS Authority, full commitment from development partners and the meaningful engagement of people living with HIV.

“Leadership at the highest levels and in communes and villages across the nation remains the key to Cambodia’s dynamic response to AIDS,” she said. “Together let’s ensure that we all have the knowledge, power and access to information that leads to full, meaningful and HIV free lives.”

She continued by saying that the people must continue to be empowered with special attention paid to educating adolescents and younger members of society. She also revealed that over 7,400 people across the world will be infected by HIV on the occasion of World AIDS Day 2008 and that of that figure, 1,000 victims will be children below 15 years old. Technically, the remainder will be counted as adults, but 45% of these could be described as adolescent or “young” by any other measure.

Kai Chanra, 17, is described as being HIV positive. Even though mitigation treatment and support programs are provided through various Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) programs, the young still face many issues and problems.

Chanra, urged the Cambodian Red Cross President Bun Rany to continue her generous support for orphans and vulnerable children affected by HIV/AIDS. /