As part of the build up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, UNAIDS (the joint United Nations program on HIV) has joined forces with the Asian Development Bank and the Asian Football Confederation to launch an HIV-prevention program aimed at helping tackle the risk of HIV transmission amongst young people in Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines and Cambodia.

Key partners of the program in the Kingdom include the Football Federation of Cambodia, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, top flight club Phnom Penh Crown and Battambang-based SALT Academy.

“Communication and education about the dangers of HIV/AIDS transmission is so important that [Phnom Penh Crown] is wholly committed to take part in this campaign to enhance awareness of HIV, improve access to HIV prevention and treatment and eliminate HIV-related stigma and discrimination,” reads a press release from the club yesterday.

The ultimate goal of the program, which uses football as a means to reach out to people, is to achieve ‘Three Zeros’, namely zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths in the respective countries.