Speeches
Remarks by the Ambassador Joseph A. Mussomeli, Launch of the PRASIT Project
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
November 01, 2007
Excellencies, Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Good afternoon. It is a great pleasure to be here on behalf of the United States Government to help launch a new USAID project for Cambodia. The new project is called PRASIT, which, even though I am sure I am not pronouncing it right, means “effectiveness” in Khmer. In English, PRASIT is also the acronym for the project name: “Project for HIV/AIDS Strategic Technical Assistance.” This new project aims to help Cambodia sustain its remarkable success in reducing HIV prevalence, and in providing humane and effective services for people living with HIV and AIDS. In support of this effort, the U.S. Government will provide assistance to Cambodia in the amount of $13 million over the next 3 years.
PRASIT will be implemented in close collaboration with the Royal Government of Cambodia. Three organizations will carry out the day-to-day work at the ground level: Family Health International (FHI), Médecine de L’ Espoir Cambodge (MEC), and the Cambodian Women for Peace and Development (CWPD). Together, they have over 30 years of experience in preventing HIV infection, and caring and treating those infected and affected by HIV and AIDS in Cambodia.
USAID has been supporting the Royal Government of Cambodia’s HIV/AIDS program since 1993. During this time, HIV prevalence peaked at 2% in 1998, but by last year it had declined to 0.9%. This remarkable decline has been recognized worldwide as a genuine success story in our global fight against HIV/AIDS. Other important Cambodian achievements include the expansion of voluntary counseling and testing, and provision of antiretroviral treatment to over 20,000 people. Together, the Royal Government of Cambodia, the NGOs, the donors, and those individuals who have personally committed to reducing the risk of HIV infection, deserve praise for these achievements. But, at the same time, we must remain steadfast to ensure that the incidence of HIV does not increase, and with it, the number of people who will require care and support. Overconfidence is almost as dangerous as apathy.
Through PRASIT, our assistance will continue to focus on prevention among high risk populations, particularly entertainment workers and their clients, men who have sex with men (MSM), and injecting drug users (IDU). We know that these populations are marginalized which means it will take more work on the part of all of us to reach them. They also have overlapping risk factors, as many entertainment workers also use drugs, and MSMs also have sex with women.
Special emphasis will be placed on reaching men – the clients of sex workers – in karaoke bars, beer gardens and other entertainment establishments. Establishment owners are currently harassed by police if they display condom advertisements or sell condoms. To stop this, we need help from the Ministry of Interior to allow establishment owners to take these responsible steps. Access to entertainment establishments is critical in reaching men to inform them and encourage them to take greater responsibility in preventing HIV infection -- a difficult challenge given the reality that men, almost by definition, are irresponsible. They need to understand the value of reducing the number of sexual partners they have, and the crucial importance of using condoms if they do have sex outside of an exclusive relationship.
PRASIT will also strengthen the quality of services provided within the Continuum of Care network, and promote linkages with other health services such as reproductive health and family planning programs. PRASIT will continue our support for surveillance, monitoring and evaluation, and data utilization to ensure we remain capable of responding to any changes in the epidemic. And, we will also continue efforts to strengthen the human and institutional capacity of Cambodian organizations to ensure that they can lead HIV/AIDS programming in the future.
The United States Government is committed to continuing to support the Royal Government of Cambodia to ensure that the successes achieved to date are maintained, and that Cambodia’s capacity to deal with the future is in place. In the coming years, the Royal Government of Cambodia must develop greater capacity and will necessarily take on more of the financial cost of its HIV/AIDS program.
In closing, I commend your government’s commitment to fighting HIV and AIDS. Unlike many other governments, you courageously accepted that there was a problem and that it needed to be addressed. You did not shy away from accepting the data that showed male sexual practices as the main driver of HIV transmission in Cambodia. You refused to ignore the problem or deny it existed. This courage and honesty, together with a pragmatic, non-politicized response by your government, has had a significant impact on HIV transmission. Through PRASIT, we look forward to continuing this partnership in combating HIV and AIDS in Cambodia. Thank you.
