Cambodia Launches Media Guide To Increase Publicity, Awareness of Country’s HIV/AIDS Epidemic
The Cambodian government on Monday launched a media guide on HIV/AIDS to increase publicity and raise awareness of the epidemic among people in the country, Xinhua/People's Daily reports. The 186-page guide has 21 sections that feature facts and data about HIV/AIDS in Cambodia and around the world; HIV/AIDS and the media; the effect of the virus on children and adolescents; HIV screening, counseling, treatment and care; and the country's goals to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS over the coming decade, Xinhua/People's Daily reports. "Media plays [a] significant role in the HIV/AIDS program and is also a key player in disseminating true information about HIV/AIDS and changing attitude[s] of the community toward the most vulnerable victims," Hong Sun Huot, president of the National AIDS Authority, said, adding, "We need to expand media coverage rather than to cause restrain to the effort." Hong urged national and international journalists to join the fight against HIV/AIDS. According to Xinhua/People's Daily, Cambodia diagnosed the first case of HIV in 1993, and HIV prevalence in the country peaked at 3.7% in 1997 (Xinhua/People's Daily, 5/22). Cambodia's current estimated HIV prevalence of 1.9% is the highest in Asia (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 1/3).
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