Cambodia has become the first nation in the Asia-Pacific region to reach the United Nations’ 95-95-95 HIV control targets, which were established by UNAIDS in 2020 as a goal for all countries to achieve by 2030. These targets require that 95% of people living with HIV know their status, 95% of those diagnosed are taking antiviral medication, and 95% of people on treatment have viral loads so low they cannot transmit the virus. Only 11 countries worldwide have achieved this milestone, with Cambodia joining nations primarily in Africa, plus Denmark in Europe.
Cambodia’s epidemic reached its peak in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when approximately 180,000 people had contracted HIV and about 2% of adults aged 15 to 49 were infected. The country experienced as many as 15,000 AIDS-related deaths annually during the crisis. Today, the national infection rate has declined to below 0.5%, and an estimated 76,000 citizens living with HIV are on medication. According to Chamreun Chob Sok, executive director of KHANA, Cambodia’s largest HIV prevention network, the country’s success rested on three primary factors: political will from both the monarchy and government, provision of free antiretroviral medication through a Global Fund grant of $11.2 million in 2003, and a public health campaign launched in 1999 that achieved over 80% condom usage among sex workers.
A critical component of Cambodia’s response involved addressing stigma and discrimination, which experts identify as the primary obstacle to HIV control throughout Asia. The country’s approach centered on creating healthcare environments where people felt accepted. Community health workers, many with lived experience of HIV, developed peer-led programs including SmartGirl, an initiative led by former entertainment workers conducting testing drives, and Srey Sros, a program created by transgender counselors signaling safety and acceptance. As the epidemic became concentrated among key populations including sex workers, men who sleep with men, and trafficking victims, these targeted interventions proved essential.
Personal stories from Cambodian advocates like Sophal Seum and Dalish Prum illustrated the human dimension of the country’s success. Seum, infected in 2000 when mandatory testing led to job loss, became a national advocate after medication and home-based care programs allowed him to recover. Prum, trafficked and infected at age 15, took medication to reach undetectable viral levels and now counsels others that life with HIV is possible, emphasizing dignity and self-acceptance as crucial elements of treatment adherence and community support.
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