HIV/AIDS prevalence in Cambodia drops to 0.7 pct in 2013: official

The prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS infections in Cambodia has declined to 0.7 percent in 2013, down from 0.8 percent two years ago, a senior government official said Sunday. “According to scientific estimation, in 2013, HIV carrier rate among adults aged between 15 and 49 years is 0.7 percent, down further from 0.8 percent in 2011 and 2.5 percent in 1998,” Ieng Mouly, chairman of the National AIDS Authority, said during the commemoration of the 25th World AIDS Day. … At present, Cambodia has an estimated 71,347 people living with HIV/AIDS including 38,420 females and 6,850 children. Mouly said about 85 percent of eligible people living with HIV/ AIDS has received antiretroviral drugs and will secure a move toward 100 percent achievement on this care target in 2014. Another outstanding achievement this year was the growing rate of pregnant women using services to reduce the transmission of HIV/ AIDS from mother to child and the growing rate of HIV-carrying pregnant women receiving treatment to prevent the transmission of AIDS to newborns. … Addressing the World AIDS Day, Deputy Prime Minister Ke Kim Yan said with concerted efforts between the government and all development partners and stakeholders, Cambodia would be likely to achieve the United Nations principles by getting to the “Three Zeros” HIV/AIDS target by 2020. … The country needs about 58 million U.S. dollars a year to fight against HIV/AIDS to achieve the three zeros HIV/AIDS target by 2020. …

 Global Post News Staff
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/xinhua-news-agency/131201/hivaids-prevalence-cambodia-drops-07-pct-2013-official