An inter-ministerial meeting was held to discuss the drafting of a national policy aimed at eliminating HIV/AIDS in Cambodia. It also addressed the sustainable AIDS programme 2023-28, which aims to reduce prevalence rates and provide social protection to people living with HIV.
The March 11 meeting was held at the Council of Ministers, and chaired by the council’s standing secretary of state Hing Thoraksy.
In attendance were Sok Buntha, secretary of state at the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, Ieng Moly, chair of the National Aids Authority (NAA), and representatives of other relevant institutions.
NAA secretary-general Chhim Khin Dareth said on March 12 that the draft national policy to eliminate HIV/AIDS and the sustainable AIDS programme 2023-28 have been under discussion since last year. During the recent meeting, it was agreed to adjust some of the wording of the policy.
He added that the draft aims to focus on protecting people from exposure to HIV/AIDS, ensuring thorough testing and providing access to treatment and support services.
“Our goal is to prevent new infections, but we will also keep people living with HIV healthy by providing health services and antiretroviral medicines. We will provide them with equity cards which will give them access to additional social protections,” said Khin Dareth.
He explained that in 2023, there were a total of about 76,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in Cambodia, including 1,400 new infections and 1,100 deaths.
“Therefore, the new policy will be designed to reduce the prevalence rate from four to one per day. In addition, the death toll must be reduced to less than three per day,” he added.
He said it will be in line with the government’s 6th Comprehensive and Multilateral National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS response for 2024-28, which aims to achieve the “95-95-95” goal by 2025.
The goal was issued by the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS in the hope that by 2030, 95 per cent of HIV-positive patients will know they have HIV, 95 per cent of patients who know they have HIV will receive treatment, and 95 per cent of HIV patients receiving treatment will show reduced viral loads.