Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
The Associated Press - Monday September 6, 1999
An estimated 100 Cambodians catch the deadly virus each day - the highest infection rate in Asia, according to the Health Ministry's HIV/AIDS Control Center.
The rate is a substantial increase over last year's estimates of 50 to 70 new cases a day, suggesting that AIDS awareness campaigns have not changed Cambodians' sexual habits, health officials said at a press briefing. The Health Ministry released several alarming statistics on the country's AIDS epidemic to hammer home an appeal to Prime Minister Hun Sen and international aid agencies to quickly support plans for expansion of a pilot program of nationwide condom use.
Police enforcement of mandatory condom-use in brothels - known as the "100 Percent Condom-Use Program" - has proved in testing to effectively shut down Cambodia's most common route of infection, health officials said.
The sex trade is considered the main link in the spread of HIV, with almost half of the country's 20,000 sex workers believed to be infected with the killer virus.
"When we can apply the 100 percent program, we hope it will reduce the rate of infection," said Dr. Tia Phalla, deputy director of the HIV/AIDS Control Center.
The program is expected to cost $1.7 million annually.
Prostitution is technically illegal in Cambodia, but it is socially tolerated and mostly ignored by police, who often reap `protection fees' from brothels. Health officials said Monday that an estimated 200,000 Cambodians - or 1.75 percent of the population - are HIV positive, an increase of 50,000 from last year.
About 20 Cambodians die of AIDS every day.
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