AIDS Healthcare Foundation and NCHADS to Open the 7th collaborative ART Center in...(joined with the group to await theopenin...),Health

One key aspect contributing to the success of AHF's work with its partners in Cambodia includes the linkage of clinic services provided together with other community and home-based services. In addition, the Cambodian partnership focuses on integrating the delivery of services under a Continuum of Care (CoC) approach-an approach that recognizes the complexities surrounding the HIV/AIDS epidemic in order to improve prevention efforts and optimize use of the oftentimes limited resources available in the successful care and treatment of those living with the disease.

Background on Prey Veng Province

Prey Veng Province, one of 20 provinces in Cambodia, is located in the southeast part of Cambodia about 90 kms from Phnom Penh. Pea Reang serves as one of the seven Operational Health Districts (OD) of the province, where the population of the surrounding area is approximately one million people. The Pea Reang Operational District consists of one Referral Hospital and 15 Health Centers.

The objectives of this newest AIDS treatment collaboration at Pea Reang in Prey Veng are similar to the partnerships' other projects throughout Cambodia, and include:

-- Capacity and skill building of the doctors and healthcare providers at

the Pea Reang Referral Hospital in collaboration with NCHADS, and

-- Establishment of an ART Clinic at the hospital and provision of free

antiretroviral treatment to people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA),

including treatment of both adults and children.

HIV/AIDS in Cambodia

The first case of HIV infection in Cambodia was reported in 1991 and was followed by a rapid rise in its transmission. Cambodia's national HIV/AIDS prevalence rate-around 3% in 1997 but decreasing to 1.9% in 2003-is still understood to be one of the highest in
'/>"/>