Mr. Tim Vora, HACC’s Executive Director, joined a five-day field trip with the Cambodian delegation to study about cross-border in accessing HIV and AIDS response between Cambodia and Thailand from 7 to 12 October 2024.
The delegation was led by H.E Ieng Moly, Senior Minister and Chairman of the National AIDS Authority (NAA) together with several representatives from NAA, Inter-Ministries and NGO sector.
The objectives of the field trip included to exchange updated information: share the latest information about migrant and mobile populations (MMPs) on HIV and AIDS (prevention, treatment, and care) within the existing public health management effort of both countries, to identify challenges: understand the unique challenges faced by each country, particularly in border regions, such as knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of MMPs regarding HIV, access to healthcare services, and social security benefits (both documented and under-documented), and to strengthen collaboration: foster stronger partnerships between Thai and Cambodian health authorities, Thai-Cambodia Cross Border Committee, and NGOs at both local and national levels.
The main activities of visit included meeting with key populations, joined Provincial AIDS Committee meeting in both Banteay Menchey and Pailin and joined meeting with two hospitals (Sa keo and Pong Nam Ron hospital in Chanthaburi, Thailand.
Key achievements during the visit included the joining a meeting with key populations, the joining Provincial AIDS Committee meetings in both Bantheay Meanchey and Pailin and the joining meetings with two hospitals in Thailand to learn about patient management, especially Cambodian people in accessing to HIV and AIDS services in Thailand.
95% 95% 95% key indicators have been used for both Cambodia and Thailand. Cambodia has great success in response to the 2nd and 3rd goals while Thailand successful in response to the 1st 95 goal.
MoU have been signed among Thailand, Lao and Vietnam. Next, Cambodia will be signing the MoU, since there are numbers of Cambodian accessing to ART services in Thailand.
As next plan, technical staff from NAA in collaboration with HACC will conduct an HIV and AIDS assessment among Cambodian migrant people in accessing to HIV and AIDS services in Thailand, then prepare MoU and work plan in response to the cross-border issues.
