A workshop on the implementation of Notification S.C.N. 213 about the response to HIV/AIDS under the presidency of Senior Minister His Excellency Ieng Mouly, Chair of the National AIDS Authority
On the morning of August 31, 2020, starting from 0800, the National AIDS Authority held, in cooperation with Kampong Speu Province Administration, a workshop on the implementation of Notification S.C.N. 213 about the response to HIV/AIDS under the presidency of Senior Minister His Excellency Ieng Mouly, Chair of the National AIDS Authority, and the HP+ sponsorship.
Participating in the workshop were HE Yim Sokhom, chair of the Provincial Council, and HE Vy Samnang, governor of Kampong Speu Province, as well as Excellencies, Lok Chumteavs, ladies, gentlemen, and misses, the vice chairs, secretary general, deputy secretaries general, and department directors of the Authority; the director of the Provincial Administration, the director of the National Centre for HIV/AIDS Dermatology and STDs, the heads and deputy heads the Health, Economy and Finance, and National Treasury Departments; the governors and deputy governors of the districts around Kampong Speu Province, as well as the representatives of UNAIDS, HP+, and HACC, in a total number of 54 participants.
In his welcoming address, HE Vy Samnang expressed his pleasure with the holding of the workshop, and he informed the meeting of the efforts exerted by the Provincial Administration in disseminating the HIV response contents, prevention and awareness programs, and HIV response practices.
Afterwards, Senior Minister HE Ieng Mouly spoke to kick off the workshop, pointing out the importance of fighting AIDS. He stressed, after we hold the seminar in Kampong Speu, the Authority’s top management might organize workshops in other provinces as well. He added that Notification 213 S.C.N S.S. is the policy belonging to and initiated by the Royal Government. The authority’s role is to monitor and motivate ministries, institutions, and the subnational level to carry out the AIDS-combating work. Now, the package of AIDS response budget has shrunk smaller and smaller. Nevertheless, the Royal Government has invested US$11 million to purchase medicine for a period of three years from 2021 to 2023. We have also included AIDS patients to receive Poor-ID card, enabling them to obtain financial aid too.
His Excellency the Senior Minister went on to say, our workshop is held at the right timing when we are in the stage of transferring works to the subnational level, with the management being placed under the provincial administration. Works we currently are undertaking need a lengthy time. Previously, the AIDS program was a separate one. However, now we have transferred it to the national program. Hence, we shall restart stimulating provincial, district, and commune AIDS work activities by organizing the existence of: 1) the functioning of the provincial, district, and commune AIDS committees, 2) work implementation activities, and 3) funding request.
Moreover, he pointed out to the meeting that some of the AIDS-fighting works do not need budget. For instance, we can raise AIDS-combating works at several meetings organized at the subnational level or during the working visits conducted by provinces’ or expert departments’ leaders to students, youth, workers, and entertainment girls respectively at schools, factories, enterprises, hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, and so forth.
After that, the Authority’s vice chairs, HE Dr. Ros Seilavath and HE Dr. Tia Phalla, informed of the workshop’s objective and gave presentation on: 1) the financing situation that has undergone changes since 2015, 2) HIV spread situation, 3) maintenance of response sustainability, and 4) AIDS actual situation in Kampong Speu Province. The AIDS response budget has declined roughly from $60 million to just $30 million a year. As regards the Royal Government’s investment, it rose circa $4 million between 2014 and 2017 to up to about $20 million from 2021 to 2023. In particular, according to data on AIDS in Kampong Speu Province, of the 2,401 patients in total, 499 have not come to receive services, 49 are new cases, and 81 have died.
For his part, Touch Reaksmei, clerk of Prek Ambel commune, S’ang District, Kandal Province made a presentation to the workshop on the task of incorporate the AIDS work in the commune investment program, utilizing social service fund to undertake AIDS work.
Speaking to conclude the meeting, His Excellency the Senior Minister informed the participants that UNAIDS has set forth the 90-90-90 targets for diverse countries to achieve in 2020, but our Cambodia has reached the goals since 2017. Now, we are talking about the process of attaining the 95-95-95 targets in 2025. This success has been won thanks to our concerted hard work and the three pillars: 1) the leadership of Samdech Prime Minister and of Samdech Kittiprittbandit, who have actively led the AIDS work, with the NAA and now provinces as leader, 2) the participation of international organizations and civil society, and 3) our courage to invest for achievement. Therefore, the provincial administration shall carry on with their works to: 1) organize provincial, district, and commune committees and undertake activities, 2) organize meetings and support networks, 3) search for some 500 HIV carriers failing to receive services within the health system, and 4) contain new infection cases to 19 from 49 per year and the deaths from AIDS to 62 from 81 annually.
Taking the floor, His Excellency the Provincial Governor voiced his determination to achieve the national milestone in the fight against HIV set by the NAA and to expand the dissemination to the citizens.
At the end, His Excellency the Senior Minister asked the Kampong Speu Provincial Administration to issue a letter to advise the district administrations to include the AIDS work in the Municipal/District Development Plan, focus on the risk group and, specifically, on the group of men having sex with men, and strengthen health officials’ capacities to assist in the AIDS response work.
info@naaa.gov.kh
+855 (0)23 885 129
+855 (0)23 885 279
ភាសាខ្មែរ
English
