World AIDS Day in Cambodia

As you probably know World AIDS Day is observed all over the world on December 1 as a way to continually call attention to the fact that HIV is still a very large problem, especially in Africa and much of the developing world.

In Cambodia, there is reason to celebrate the fact that the infection rate has dropped from a high of 2% in 1998 to 0.7% of the population. As well, 90% of adults living with HIV receive antiretroviral treatment. But the picture on the ground isn’t always this rosy and there is still a lot of stigma, mistreatment at the hands of so-called health professionals and severe poverty for those suffering from HIV.

Not surprisingly, I knew nothing about what my NGO planned for World AIDS Day until the day before. I was informed that I would be picked up at 6:30 am to attend the ceremonies. There was no parade or public awareness activity, but instead a very formalized ceremony of speech-making in a fancy auditorium (which by the way, didn’t begin until 8:30). The photo will give you some idea of what it looked like but I want to share a couple of things that happened during the formalities….

Many ‘big men and women’ (probably Lexus owners) and the Prime Minister’s wife (centre stage) gave formal self-congratulatory speeches in Khmer. After about an hour, someone handed me a set of earphones through which I could listen to an English translation of the speeches. About this time, a woman living with HIV was scheduled to speak. However, she wasn’t allowed on the stage and had to speak from a microphone on the floor. Once she had read her prepared speech, she launched out on her own and began to tell her sad story of how she (and her child) had been infected by her husband, now deceased. It was then that the translator completely lost it and started weeping uncontrollably. It took him quite a few minutes to regain his composure… surely the most touching moment in the long boring proceedings.

The final part of the ceremonies involved giving out about 25 awards (ribbons, medals and certificates) to bureaucrats who work in the offices of NAA (the National AIDS Authority). Most of them had probably never seen a PLHIV and I couldn’t see any reason why they should receive public recognition for doing their jobs. Colin, on the other hand, thought it meant that the NAA could pay them less if they got recognition… perhaps they have no access to Lexus money…

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My NGO had its World AIDS Day activity a few days later. They visited both the outpatient clinic and inpatient unit at the Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital where they provided patients with gifts of food and blankets. I was invited to join them to act as official photographer. It was a nice idea and some of the patients were well enough to appreciate the gesture, but for most of the inpatients, they were just too sick to care. After a while, I couldn’t stomach it any more and told them I couldn’t take any more pictures.