Cambodia Human Development Report 2001
Cambodia Human Development Report 2001
January 1, 2002
Cambodia faces an AIDS epidemic that potentially could reverse the development gains made since peace returned to the country. It is estimated that 2.8% of the adult population is infected with HIV, among the highest in Asia; that many tens of thousands have already died as a result; and that possibly two hundred thousand people including children will develop AIDS within the next 5-10 years.
The efforts of the Royal Government of Cambodia to achieve effective response to the HIV/AIDS crisis, including its efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goal on HIV/AIDS – to halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015 – are tremendous. Indeed, the leadership and broad partnership stance that the RGC has adopted in addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic by steering reforms as outlined in the “National Strategic Framework for a Comprehensive and Multi-Sectoral Response to HIV/AIDS, 2001-2005”is already yielding valuable results. Of great encouragement for this concerted response are the indications of a reduction in the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate. In the context of such a broad partnership on HIV/AIDS, the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Cambodia is working to significantly enhance its support to the national response against HIV/AIDS on the basis of the UNDAF (2001-2005). In doing so, the UNCT has developed a Common Strategy that clearly sets out the future emphasis of the Team both collectively and individually.