His Excellency Senior Minister Ieng Mouly Presides Over Opening Ceremony for Workshop on Consultation Over AIDS-Combating Work Carried Out in 2017 and 2018 Plan Consideration
His Excellency Senior Minister Ieng Mouly, Chair of the National AIDS Authority, presided over a workshop on consultation over the work implemented in 2017 and consideration of the 2018 plan for further implementation at Koh Kong City Hotel on 6 March 2018. Attending the workshop were 105 National AIDS Authority managers and officials, representatives of Koh Kong Province’s administration and AIDS Committee, and technical advisers.
Addressing the ceremony, His Excellency the Senior Minister said we call this program workshop or insight, meaning a retreat to ponder or meditate to give a boost to intelligence.Cambodia is one of the world’s seven countries, including Botswana, the United Kingdom, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, and Singapore, which has attained success in the fight against AIDS by achieving the 90-90-90 targets. The 90-90-90 targets mean: 1) 90% of those suspected of carrying HIV are aware of their status, 2) 90% of those aware of their status as HIV carrier have received regular antiretroviral drug treatment, and 3) 90% of those who have received treatment but no HIV is found in their blood.
The purpose of our today’s meeting is to take a break to ponder by gazing at what was done in the past in order to measure it with what exists at present and look into the future to see what else should be carried out. It is asked whether we have made progress, and if there were shortcomings previously, how should we improve them? Therefore, we should look into the future to find out what else we should do.
It should be recalled that the amount of funds invested in the fight against AIDS in Cambodia since 1991 is approximately $800 million received from development partners, and from 2018 to 2020, we have $41.6 million in funds received from the Global Fund for combating AIDS. Nevertheless, at this successful stage, AIDS-fighting assistance obtained from the development partners has been scaled down. However, the Royal Government of Cambodia has joined in providing contribution for purchasing antiretroviral drugs since 2015 and hiring contracted staff since this 2018. The total amount of national budget the Royal Government has contributed is US$8 million.
As we are in need of sustainability to combat AIDS, the Ministry of Interior then incorporated the safe village-commune policy in the fight against AIDS in December 2016. The Ministry of Planning has included AIDS carriers and poor AIDS patients in the group of people granted IDPoor card. Moreover, ministries, institutions, the capital city, and each province have prepared their AIDS-fighting funds within their own budget package.
Having obtained an authorization in principle from Prime Minister Samdech Techo, we have been seeking grant aid from the People's Republic of China. We have already presented a planned request for the funds to the Chinese Embassy, we will look for an opportunity to meet with the Chinese ambassador, and we plan to ask China to assist in the safe village-commune work. Recently, generous Chinese people have offered assistance consisting of 648,000 condoms to the National AIDS Authority.
We have organized inter-ministerial meetings to consider the possibility of recruiting contracted officials for the fight against AIDS. Time continues to move forward, but the outcomes are not what we desire. However, we have to find solutions enabling us to carry on our works in all forms.
At the end, His Excellency the Senior Minister recommended that all the National AIDS Authority officials join hands to strengthen peace by: 1) not becoming involved with the opposition party, because this band of oppositionists has nothing but only the policy of toppling the regime by launching rebel-style appeals for the Army to rise up against the Royal Government and 2) strengthening democracy by going in force to the forthcoming polls on 29 July.
info@naaa.gov.kh
+855 (0)23 885 129
+855 (0)23 885 279
ភាសាខ្មែរ
English
