Cambodia To Eradicate HIV/AIDS Infection From Mother To Child By 2020

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia has set year 2020 as a timeline to eradicate the spread or infection of HIV/AIDS from mother to child, reports China's Xinhua news agency on Saturday.

Mean Chhiv Vun, advisor to Cambodia's Ministry of Health and director of National Center for HIV/AIDS said Saturday that the Ministry of Health has pledged to eradicate the infection of HIV/ AIDS from mother to child by 2020.

As of now, of the total 36,077 HIV/AIDS related patients, 3,500 are children and being provided medical care by the government.

According to the government's statistics, the prevalence of infection rate has declined from 2 percent in 2006 to 0.9 percent in 2008 for adults aged 15 and 49, and is expected the rate will further decline to 0.6 percent by 2012.

Earlier this month, Bun Rany, spouse of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Chairman of Cambodian Red Cross pledged that the government, her Cambodian Red Cross as well as other national and international organizations were committed to continue helping and supporting all activities that help combating this deadly disease.

She also urged all private companies to not condition employees ' pre-blood test prior to offering their new job, an act she says a violation to law on HIV/AIDS.

Cambodia is considered as a successful country in fighting against the spread or infection of HIV/AIDS through a 100 percent condom use campaign.

-- BERNAMA