Press Release

Cambodian HIV/AIDS Education and Care (CHEC)

September 17, 2008

Many Hands Make Light Work or Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth?

Congregating in a huge number with the attempt to bring about their own working experiences in the fields as well as at their workplace, nearly one thousand HIV/AIDS activists, policy makers and other pillars of society were cool, calm, and collected to release their suggestions and to absorb more recommendations in the third National AIDS Conference held at Chaktomouk Theatre with some presentation shows at Cambodiana Hotel from September 10 to September 12 under the theme ‘A Greater Multisectoral Response to HIV/AIDS: Towards Universal Access in Cambodia”.

Presiding over the national event, Deputy Prime Minister Sok An and Chairperson of the National AIDS Authority Princess Norodom Marie Ranariddh said in their speech delivery that it should be proud of when hearing that Cambodia was named the world leader to work on HIV/AIDS following the constant declining of HIV/AIDS prevalence from 3.3 percent in 1997 to 0.9 percent in 2007.

Despite such round of applause, Tony Lisle, UNAIDS country coordinator to Cambodia, alerted the conference participants that a possible new-fangled HIV/AIDS attack might be at its potency and would be so catastrophic since HIV/AIDS educational messages for most-at-risk population was not in full swing.

“Notwithstanding these major achievements, there are clear warning signs that Cambodia’s HIV prevention approaches are not keeping pace with the evolving dynamics of the epidemic. Cambodia continues to witness serious concentrated epidemics among sex workers, men-who-have-sex-with-men and drug users,” said Tony Lisle, adding that “HIV prevention coverage for all these populations remains unacceptably low.”

Regarding the imminent second wave of HIV/AIDS, independent consultant Dr. Tia Phalla said it would presumably be right as some efficacious recommendations he and other consultants had made went in one ear and out the other, stressing “the cart keeps advancing while the dog keeps barking.”

In regards to Dr. Tia Phalla’s feedback, NAA’s Vice Secretary General Dr. Hor Bunleng said in his presentation show that fighting with HIV/AIDS entailed participation all over the place, not an individual one, adding “I do, I lose. But if we do, we win.”

Working together took time to come to a compromising point and each side had to yield somewhat, said CHEC’s director Dr. Kasem Kolnary, adding, “the idea that ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’ is however out of my favour but ‘many hands make light work’ is in favour though sometimes I acknowledge that some recommendations to cope with HIV/AIDS are not taken into account,” reasoning, “if it is really the case, why did we have the third National AIDS Conference?”

Media Contact: Dr. Kasem Kolnary, CHEC director, via office phone number at 023 884 473 or mobile one at 012 945 077 or Communication Manager Oum Chanpanhara at 012 477 017

Cambodian HIV/AIDS Education and Care

#86 Street 608, Boeung Kak II, Toul Kork, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Tel/Fax (855) 023 884 473

Email: chec@online.com.kh

Website: www.checcambodia.org