Senior Minister Ieng Mouly, Chair of the National AIDS Authority Presides over the High-Level Consultative Meeting on Fast-Track Cities Initiative via Microsoft Teams
On the morning of the September 6, 2021 from 09.00 a.m., Senior Minister Ieng Mouly, Chair of the National AIDS Authority presided over the High-Level Consultative Meeting on Fast-Track Cities Initiative virtually, via Microsoft Teams. The meeting was jointly organized by the NAA and UNAIDS with participation of 44 people/accounts including Deputy Governors and Chairs of AIDS Committees of Phnom Penh, Battambang, Siem Reap and Banteay Meanchey, Dr. Whin Thin Khin Cho, UNAIDS Country Director a.i., H.E. Dr. Tia Phalla, Vice-Chair of NAA, Members of the Top Management of NAA, representatives of Development Partners, representatives of key Provincial Departments such as Health, Economic and Finance, Treasury, Planning and Investment HQ of Provincial Administration and AIDS Secretariat and AIDS Programof the four above-mentioned Fast-Track Cities.
In his speech, the Senior Minister reminded the participants that Cambodia is one of seven countries globally to have achieved the 90-90-90 targets in 2017. Currently, its 95-95-95 targets have been officially updated on August 2, 2021where: 1) the first 95 is at 84%, meaning that 84% of people living with HIV knew their status; 2) the second 95 is at 99%, meaning that 99% of those who known their status are accessing treatment and 3) the third 95 is at 97%, meaning that 97% of those who are on treatment are virally suppressed. With these encouraging progresses, Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister called for a unified national movement to end AIDS by 2025 which is 5 years ahead of the global commitment, he added.
In the transition from dependency to a sustainable response to HIV and AIDS epidemic, we encounter a number of challenges: 1) based on a modeling exercise, Cambodia will not be on track to reduce new infections up to the 2025 targets 2) insufficient funding for HIV prevention in the current grants refrains the expansion of the innovative interventions addressing young Key Populations, 3) the knock-on impact on HIV program is becoming severe with the risingof community transmission of COVID-19 in Phnom Penh and important provincial cities especially after February 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic has created additional setbacks and pushed our AIDS response further off track, widening inequality and exposing the dangers of under-investment in public health, systems for health and pandemic preparedness, the Senior Minister added.
Before concluding the speech, the Senior Minister highlighted that in the context where donors are continuously decreasing their supports, it is time for all of us to revise policies and institutional relationships to change behaviors and resource use to address identified constraints in a more sustainable manner.
Finally, the Senior Minister concluded his opening speech byasking for good examples of local leadership in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Battambang and Banteay Meanchey and Siem Reap to work together through cooperation, reinvigorated multi-sectoral involvement and meaningful community engagement to urgently accelerate sub-national actions towards comprehensive prevention, treatment, care and support with increase investments to ensure that no one is left behind.
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