AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Cambodia has called for young people, particularly those at greater risk of HIV infection, to undergo testing and access prevention services, following a warning by Prime Minister Hun Manet that despite progress, HIV infections appear to be increasing.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony for medical students on October 7, Manet expressed concern that improvements in HIV treatment and declining AIDS-related deaths may have encouraged complacency about the virus.
“Now it seems that HIV infections are increasing again,” he said, referring to Cambodia’s progress towards the international 95-95-95 HIV targets.
He warned that as fewer people die from AIDS-related illnesses, some may underestimate the continuing risk of infection.
“As the disease becomes less deadly, meaning fewer and fewer people die from it, people may become complacent. Please be careful,” he said.
Responding to concerns about HIV transmission, Dr Chan Phanna, AHF Cambodia country programme manager, said young people aged 15 to 24 remain a particularly vulnerable population.
Citing figures attributed to the National AIDS Authority (NAA) and UNAIDS, he said the age group accounts for approximately 44 per cent of new HIV infections in Cambodia, affecting both young men and women.
Phanna identified inadequate awareness of HIV, unsafe sexual practices and misconceptions about the disease as important factors contributing to continued transmission among younger generations.
He said adolescent girls and young women face additional challenges, including limited access to comprehensive sexual health education, stigma and discrimination, unequal power in relationships and difficulties negotiating condom use with partners.
Economic dependence and fear of losing relationships may also discourage some young women from insisting on safer sexual practices.
In rural communities, these vulnerabilities can be compounded by limited access to youth-friendly health services, transport costs and concerns about confidentiality.
Phanna noted that some young people hesitate to seek HIV testing because they fear being recognised at health facilities, judged by healthcare workers or discriminated against by their communities.
Such barriers can delay diagnosis and prevent people from accessing treatment and prevention advice.
Although Cambodia has reported achieving the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets, which measure progress in HIV diagnosis, treatment and viral suppression, Phanna stressed that preventing new infections remains a significant challenge.
He explained that effective HIV treatment has substantially reduced AIDS-related deaths, but improved survival should not be mistaken for the disappearance of transmission risks.
HIV testing remains a critical first step in prevention and treatment because people can carry the virus without showing symptoms.
Those who test positive can be linked to antiretroviral therapy (ART), while those who test negative can receive counselling on prevention methods, including consistent condom use.
To address vulnerabilities among adolescent girls and young women, AHF Cambodia has been implementing its Girls Act programme since 2019.
According to Phanna, the initiative has grown into a network of more than 300 members, including girls living with HIV, supported by 12 community leaders.
The Girls Act programme focuses on helping adolescent girls and young women maintain uninterrupted access to antiretroviral medication, alongside HIV prevention education, sexual and reproductive health awareness, peer support, life-skills development and efforts to reduce stigma and discrimination.
It also seeks to strengthen girls’ confidence in making informed decisions about their health, maintaining consistent HIV treatment and accessing appropriate healthcare services.
In 2026, Girls Act expanded practical assistance by providing menstrual hygiene supplies to schools, supporting ART treatment services and disadvantaged communities, and offering transport assistance to girls who need HIV treatment and other healthcare services.
AHF Cambodia also supports HIV testing, counselling and community outreach to improve access to services, particularly among populations facing barriers to conventional healthcare.
Phanna emphasised that prevention efforts must address not only the availability of services but also the social pressures and fears that prevent young people from using them.
He encouraged greater cooperation among families, schools, healthcare providers and community organisations to improve sexual health education, reduce stigma and make confidential testing more accessible.
Young people who have had unprotected sex, experienced a possible exposure to HIV or are uncertain about their HIV status are encouraged to seek testing rather than wait for symptoms.
For people diagnosed with HIV, early treatment can protect their health and, when it achieves sustained viral suppression, prevent sexual transmission of the virus.
AHF Cambodia maintains that expanding testing and prevention education among young people, alongside continued access to treatment, will be essential to sustaining the country’s progress against HIV and preventing further infections.