PHNOM PENH, Cambodia and LOS ANGELES, March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest AIDS organization in the United States, which operates free AIDS treatment clinics in the US, Africa, Central America, and Asia, has joined together with the Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Cambodia and Cambodia's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STI Control (NCHADS) in a new partnership to provide life-saving anti-retroviral therapy (ART) to people living with HIV/AIDS in Cambodia. The partnerships were recently formalized in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between AHF and the Cambodian Ministry of Health, and in a letter of agreement (LOA) with AHF, the Ministry of Health, and the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STI Control. Through its new partnerships, AHF, the Cambodian Ministry of Health and NCHADS plan to work together on ART scale up in three Cambodian Provinces with the goal of bringing 3,000 Cambodian HIV/AIDS patients into treatment over the next five years.
"We are honored to announce that we have joined together to work with the Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Cambodia and the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STI Control to scale up delivery of medical care and anti-retroviral treatment to people living with HIV/AIDS throughout Cambodia," said Dr. Chinkholal Thangsing, Asia Pacific Bureau Chief for AIDS Healthcare Foundation in a statement from AHF's Asia Pacific Bureau in India. "During the next five years, AIDS Healthcare Foundation will collaborate with our esteemed partners to provide technical support to increase and strengthen the ART roll out and scale up of ART delivery services via designated facilities in three provinces in Cambodia. We will also work closely together to support the Royal Government of Cambodia's overall HIV/AIDS ART treatment initiatives. We believe that this collaboration between AHF and NCHADS will improve access to HIV/AIDS care and treatment throughout the country."
The collaboration between AHF and these respected Cambodian institutions are being celebrated and marked this week in Cambodia with formal ribbon-cutting ceremonies at two of these new free AIDS treatment facilities. Yesterday, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in Kampong Thom at one of the new ART clinics that will be run by AHF in collaboration with Cambodia's NCHADS, a partnership whose goal is to bring 3,000 Cambodians living with HIV/AIDS into treatment over the next five years. Tomorrow -- Saturday, April 1st -- a separate ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at another new free AIDS treatment clinic to be located at the Preah Ket Mealea Hospital in Phnom Penh. This collaboration was formalized in an additional MOU between AHF and the Preah Ket Mealea Hospital of the Royal Government of Cambodia, and its goal is to bring medical care and anti-retroviral treatment to an additional 300 Cambodians.
The free OI and ART sites supported by AHF will be located at Kampong Thom Referral Hospital in Kampong Thom Province, at Rattanakiri Referral Hospital in Ratanakiri Province and at Stung Treng Referral Hospital in Stung Treng Province AHF will assist the local partners to provide OI and ART with high quality of HIV/AIDS care to patients at these three Referral Hospitals.
The first case of HIV infection in Cambodia was reported in 1991 and was followed by a rapid rise in transmission. Cambodia's national HIV prevalence rate -- around 3% in 1997 but decreasing to 1.9% in 2003 -- is understood to be one of the highest in Asia.
"We welcome the presence of AHF as one of the new partners for increasing the access to ART. This contribution is critical for moving towards the Universal Access to Care and Treatment for PLHA in Cambodia," said Dr. Mean Chhi Vun, Director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STI Control.
"This collaboration will include innovative medical and non-medical interventions; provide technical support and training resources to increase and strengthen the diagnostic and treatment capacity and skills of HIVAIDS, ART treatment services providers in Cambodia," said Henry E. Chang, AHF Chief of Global Affairs in a statement from the AHF Global secretariat in Amsterdam. "AHF has significant expertise and experience in ART service delivery and skills and capacity building related to HIVAIDS treatment and care, and we are therefore well positioned to complement the Cambodian Ministry of Health in its efforts to enhance access to prevention, treatment and care in Cambodia."
"We recognize the important and laudable efforts undertaken by the Government of Cambodia to treat its people living with AIDS and to arrest and eliminate the HIVAIDS epidemic in Cambodia," said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "This partnership brings together many respected stakeholders with expertise and clinical, public health and management skills that are essential for any successful HIV treatment program, and we are honored to partner with the Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Cambodia and the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STI Control to support the government's program to scale up HIVAIDS treatment through this exciting initiative."
AHF, under its AHF Global program, has previously joined forces in Asia -- in India -- (starting in July 2004) with Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM), to provide ART to patients at two clinic facilities in Mysore and Koppal in Karnataka State in Southern India. As of January 2006, close to 400 clients were receiving life-saving anti-retroviral treatment and care through the partnership's clinic in Mysore in the Government District Hospital as well as at the Koppal facility. AHF, which has more than 18 years experience providing HIV/AIDS medical care at its clinics and hospice in the US (and for over four years at its global clinics in Africa, Central America and Asia) oversees the HIV/AIDS clinical care; SVYM, handles the social service, organizational and operational needs on the local level.
AHF's strategy is to provide support and technical assistance to ensure the highest quality of care to patients at these two Indian facilities. This includes the training and capacitating of local Indian groups to provide adherence support and counseling, a key to the success of all of AHF's global ART delivery programs. In its new Cambodian partnership, AHF expects work in close cooperation with the Ministry of Health and NCHADS to pursue similar success in treatment and adherence.
Cambodia's population is just over 14 million people. Approximately 123,100 (the latest sentinel surveillances survey in 2003) adults Cambodians aged 15-49 years are thought to be living with HIV/AIDS, and of these, 10,537 are currently receiving anti-retroviral treatment. Nearly 20,000 (the latest sentinel surveillances survey in 2003) are in urgent need of such life-saving ART.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation
"We are honored to announce that we have joined together to work with the Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Cambodia and the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STI Control to scale up delivery of medical care and anti-retroviral treatment to people living with HIV/AIDS throughout Cambodia," said Dr. Chinkholal Thangsing, Asia Pacific Bureau Chief for AIDS Healthcare Foundation in a statement from AHF's Asia Pacific Bureau in India. "During the next five years, AIDS Healthcare Foundation will collaborate with our esteemed partners to provide technical support to increase and strengthen the ART roll out and scale up of ART delivery services via designated facilities in three provinces in Cambodia. We will also work closely together to support the Royal Government of Cambodia's overall HIV/AIDS ART treatment initiatives. We believe that this collaboration between AHF and NCHADS will improve access to HIV/AIDS care and treatment throughout the country."
The collaboration between AHF and these respected Cambodian institutions are being celebrated and marked this week in Cambodia with formal ribbon-cutting ceremonies at two of these new free AIDS treatment facilities. Yesterday, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in Kampong Thom at one of the new ART clinics that will be run by AHF in collaboration with Cambodia's NCHADS, a partnership whose goal is to bring 3,000 Cambodians living with HIV/AIDS into treatment over the next five years. Tomorrow -- Saturday, April 1st -- a separate ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at another new free AIDS treatment clinic to be located at the Preah Ket Mealea Hospital in Phnom Penh. This collaboration was formalized in an additional MOU between AHF and the Preah Ket Mealea Hospital of the Royal Government of Cambodia, and its goal is to bring medical care and anti-retroviral treatment to an additional 300 Cambodians.
The free OI and ART sites supported by AHF will be located at Kampong Thom Referral Hospital in Kampong Thom Province, at Rattanakiri Referral Hospital in Ratanakiri Province and at Stung Treng Referral Hospital in Stung Treng Province AHF will assist the local partners to provide OI and ART with high quality of HIV/AIDS care to patients at these three Referral Hospitals.
The first case of HIV infection in Cambodia was reported in 1991 and was followed by a rapid rise in transmission. Cambodia's national HIV prevalence rate -- around 3% in 1997 but decreasing to 1.9% in 2003 -- is understood to be one of the highest in Asia.
"We welcome the presence of AHF as one of the new partners for increasing the access to ART. This contribution is critical for moving towards the Universal Access to Care and Treatment for PLHA in Cambodia," said Dr. Mean Chhi Vun, Director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STI Control.
"This collaboration will include innovative medical and non-medical interventions; provide technical support and training resources to increase and strengthen the diagnostic and treatment capacity and skills of HIVAIDS, ART treatment services providers in Cambodia," said Henry E. Chang, AHF Chief of Global Affairs in a statement from the AHF Global secretariat in Amsterdam. "AHF has significant expertise and experience in ART service delivery and skills and capacity building related to HIVAIDS treatment and care, and we are therefore well positioned to complement the Cambodian Ministry of Health in its efforts to enhance access to prevention, treatment and care in Cambodia."
"We recognize the important and laudable efforts undertaken by the Government of Cambodia to treat its people living with AIDS and to arrest and eliminate the HIVAIDS epidemic in Cambodia," said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "This partnership brings together many respected stakeholders with expertise and clinical, public health and management skills that are essential for any successful HIV treatment program, and we are honored to partner with the Ministry of Health, Royal Government of Cambodia and the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STI Control to support the government's program to scale up HIVAIDS treatment through this exciting initiative."
AHF, under its AHF Global program, has previously joined forces in Asia -- in India -- (starting in July 2004) with Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM), to provide ART to patients at two clinic facilities in Mysore and Koppal in Karnataka State in Southern India. As of January 2006, close to 400 clients were receiving life-saving anti-retroviral treatment and care through the partnership's clinic in Mysore in the Government District Hospital as well as at the Koppal facility. AHF, which has more than 18 years experience providing HIV/AIDS medical care at its clinics and hospice in the US (and for over four years at its global clinics in Africa, Central America and Asia) oversees the HIV/AIDS clinical care; SVYM, handles the social service, organizational and operational needs on the local level.
AHF's strategy is to provide support and technical assistance to ensure the highest quality of care to patients at these two Indian facilities. This includes the training and capacitating of local Indian groups to provide adherence support and counseling, a key to the success of all of AHF's global ART delivery programs. In its new Cambodian partnership, AHF expects work in close cooperation with the Ministry of Health and NCHADS to pursue similar success in treatment and adherence.
Cambodia's population is just over 14 million people. Approximately 123,100 (the latest sentinel surveillances survey in 2003) adults Cambodians aged 15-49 years are thought to be living with HIV/AIDS, and of these, 10,537 are currently receiving anti-retroviral treatment. Nearly 20,000 (the latest sentinel surveillances survey in 2003) are in urgent need of such life-saving ART.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation
CONTACT: United States, Ged Kenslea, Communications Director,+1-323-860-5225, or cell, +1-323-791-5526, gedk@aidshealth.org, or LoriYeghiayan, Communications Specialist, +1-323-860-5227, or cell,+1-323-377-4312; or India, Chinkholal Thangsing, MD, Asia Pacific BureauChief, +91.11. (0) 98.1827.0687, chinkholal.thangsing@aidshealth.org; or TheNetherlands, Henry Chang, Chief of Global Affairs, +1-917-400-8900,henry.chang@aidshealth.org, all of AIDS Healthcare Foundation
1 comment:
Dear Friends at KI Media,
Greetings! I was in Cambodia for the launch of the program in March and on the 1st April 2006. Thanks for posting at the KI Media Blog site.Looking forward to meeting your team on my next visit to Cambodia!!!
Dr Chinkholal Thangsing
chinkholal.thangsing@aidshealth.org
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