The Associated Press
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton praised Cambodia's efforts in fighting HIV/AIDS on Monday and pledged to work with the government to expand treatment for children living with the disease.
Clinton was in Cambodia to tour AIDS-related projects and local organizations supported by the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative. His trip came at the end of a tour of Asian countries devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
The former U.S. president met with Prime Minister Hun Sen and signed a memorandum of understanding for the foundation to continue support and expand pediatric treatment of HIV/AIDS in Cambodia.
Clinton praised the government for its "steadfast and consistent commitment" to combating HIV/AIDS, but said there remain "challenges that require us to do more."
Hun Sen thanked Clinton for his foundation's work and for his visit, saying it contributed "great political and psychological value" to Cambodia's efforts to battle AIDS and the discrimination its victims face in the country.
Cambodia, one of the world's poorest countries, has an HIV infection rate of 1.9 percent among people aged 15-49, among the highest in Southeast Asia. The rate has been significantly reduced from 3 percent in 1997.
There are currently about 20,000 children under the age of 15 living with HIV or AIDS in Cambodia out of a total of 123,000 Cambodians who are either infected with the virus, or have contracted the full-blown disease.
"I think that the leadership you have shown ... gives us hope that Cambodia can be a model for the rest of Asia and, perhaps, for the rest of the world," Clinton said after meeting with Hun Sen.
He called for more education to raise awareness among young people about how the disease is transmitted and can be prevented.
The Clinton Foundation established its presence in Cambodia in June 2005. Through the foundation's assistance, the number of Cambodian children receiving treatment for HIV or AIDS has increased from 400 to more than 1,200 within the past year, according to the organization's official Web site.
Of the 30,000 HIV patients eligible for antiretroviral treatment, only 18,000 are receiving the drug, with the assistance of organizations such as the Clinton Foundation and others.
About 100,000 children have been orphaned in Cambodia because of AIDS, the National AIDS Authority said last week.
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On the Net:
Clinton Foundation: http://www.clintonfoundation.org
Clinton was in Cambodia to tour AIDS-related projects and local organizations supported by the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative. His trip came at the end of a tour of Asian countries devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
The former U.S. president met with Prime Minister Hun Sen and signed a memorandum of understanding for the foundation to continue support and expand pediatric treatment of HIV/AIDS in Cambodia.
Clinton praised the government for its "steadfast and consistent commitment" to combating HIV/AIDS, but said there remain "challenges that require us to do more."
Hun Sen thanked Clinton for his foundation's work and for his visit, saying it contributed "great political and psychological value" to Cambodia's efforts to battle AIDS and the discrimination its victims face in the country.
Cambodia, one of the world's poorest countries, has an HIV infection rate of 1.9 percent among people aged 15-49, among the highest in Southeast Asia. The rate has been significantly reduced from 3 percent in 1997.
There are currently about 20,000 children under the age of 15 living with HIV or AIDS in Cambodia out of a total of 123,000 Cambodians who are either infected with the virus, or have contracted the full-blown disease.
"I think that the leadership you have shown ... gives us hope that Cambodia can be a model for the rest of Asia and, perhaps, for the rest of the world," Clinton said after meeting with Hun Sen.
He called for more education to raise awareness among young people about how the disease is transmitted and can be prevented.
The Clinton Foundation established its presence in Cambodia in June 2005. Through the foundation's assistance, the number of Cambodian children receiving treatment for HIV or AIDS has increased from 400 to more than 1,200 within the past year, according to the organization's official Web site.
Of the 30,000 HIV patients eligible for antiretroviral treatment, only 18,000 are receiving the drug, with the assistance of organizations such as the Clinton Foundation and others.
About 100,000 children have been orphaned in Cambodia because of AIDS, the National AIDS Authority said last week.
___
On the Net:
Clinton Foundation: http://www.clintonfoundation.org
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