AKP Phnom Penh, April 29, 2025 --

Cambodia has reached a major milestone in its fight against HIV/AIDS, ranking 10th out of 195 countries for suppressing the virus in over 86% of people living with HIV, announced Senior Minister H.E. Ieng Mouly.  

Speaking at a coordination meeting in Siem Reap on April 29—focused on issuing Health Equity Fund (HEF) cards to informal tourism workers— H.E. Ieng Mouly, who also chairs the National AIDS Authority, highlighted Cambodia’s decades-long progress in combating the disease. He emphasised the country’s significant achievements at national, regional, and global levels. 

The senior minister reported a dramatic decline in new HIV infections—from around 15,000 cases annually in the mid-1990s to just 1,200 in 2023. Cambodia’s testing and treatment programmes have also met the UNAIDS 89-98-98 targets (89% diagnosed, 98% on treatment, 98% virally suppressed) by 2023, earning global recognition.  

However, H.E. Ieng Mouly warned of rising challenges, particularly among youth. Over the next six years, an estimated 7,200 new infections could occur, with half affecting young people aged 15–24. Many may require lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART), posing long-term economic strains.  

Adding to the challenge, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (GFATM) plans to cut Cambodia’s grant assistance by 30–50% between 2027 and 2029 compared to 2024–2026 levels.  

In response, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet launched the National Policy to End AIDS and Ensure Programme Sustainability (2023–2028), aiming to reduce new infections to fewer than one per day (around 200 annually).

A joint task force of development partners and the Royal Government of  Cambodia has pledged to expand social protection coverage for people with HIV—from 52% in 2023 to 95% by 2025—and increase support for high-risk groups to 50% by 2028.

Article in Khmer by Khuth Sao
Article in English by K. Rithy Reak