Cambodia remains concerned of possible new surge in Aids cases

Cambodge Soir

10-09-2008

The third national HIV conference gathers all of the country’s experts whilst new modes of contamination arise.

On September 10, the third Conference on Aids begins in Phnom Penh. Over three days, around 1,000 participants from both civil society and the government will listen to Cambodian and foreign experts. Four topics are the focus of this year’s conference: prevention, care, patient rights policy and the reduction of the consequences of Aids.

Doctor Teng Kunthy, the General Secretary of the National Authority on Aids remains on his guard. He is specifically concerned by “new contamination modes developing with homosexuals and drug consumers with the use of more and more intravenous drugs, and group sex without condoms”. These new modes develop as condom usage decreases.

At the conference presentation, the speakers recalled the authorities’ commitment, until 2010, to give the entire population access to infrastructure designed to combat Aids.

Opportunity will be given during the conference to take stock of the results of ten years of fighting the deadly virus in Cambodia, where the prevalence rate reaches only 0.9 percent.The conference budget is estimated at US$ 80,000 and is financed by around twenty donors, including: PSI, USAID, Angkor Beer, Save the children and FHI. Foreigners are charged US $100 to take part in the conference, and the fee is US$ 50 for Cambodians.