The Parliamentary Handbook provides a useful tool for Cambodian lawmakers to disseminate accurate and up to date information on transmission, prevention and treatment of HIV among their constituents.

To encourage parliamentarians to play a greater role in ensuringaccurate and up to date information on transmission, prevention andtreatment of HIV reaches their constituents, last month all Members ofthe National Assembly and the Senate received a copy of a newParliamentary Handbook on HIV and AIDS.

First Lady of Cambodia and President of the Cambodian Red Cross, LokChumteav Bun Rany Hun Sen launched the handbook at the NationalAssembly on 29 January. She spoke of past achievements in reducingtransmission rates in Cambodia, while identifying the challenges thatstill lie ahead in the fight against the epidemic.

“We still have more work which requires us to overcome together. Thishandbook represents...the good initiative of the top leaders ofCambodia and development partners in combating HIV/AIDs,” she said. TheFirst lady is also the National Champion for the Asia Pacificleadership Forum on HIV/AIDS and Development (APLF).

The Parliamentary Handbook is a user-friendly resource. About half acentimetre thick and measuring 11 by 15 centimetres, it provides purse-size information about the epidemic, definition of the virus, itscauses and how it can be transmitted, and available treatment. It alsofeatures the National response so far, as well as recommendationsregarding how parliamentarians can do to enable a more effectiveresponse across policy, advocacy, leadership and legislative areas.

Cambodia’s fight against HIV/AIDS has come a long way. The first caseswere discovered in the country in 1991, reaching a prevalence rate of 2percent among 15-49 year olds in 1998. However, by 2009, the rate hadbeen reduced to 0.7 percent, thanks largely to a rigorousgovernment-led awareness campaign, which was conducted with supportfrom development partners. The country now has 234 blood testing andcounseling centres, and nearly everyone who is HIV positive isreceiving the treatment they need.

But there is no room for complacency.

During the launch, officials urged greater vigilance to avoid a “secondwave” of the epidemic. They said more focus was needed on most at riskgroups, including entertainment workers and their male clients, men whohave sex with men, and drug users. Representatives of the groups alsoconducted a dialogue with the parliamentarians about the biggestchallenges to their communities and made recommendations to theParliament regarding legislation, stigma and discrimination, andtreatment.

“This will require more active engagement from members of parliament,national authorities and all stakeholders,” said H.E. Mrs. KhlothTongphka, Chairwoman of the Senate’s Commission on Health, SocialAffairs, Veteran, Rehabilitation, Vocational Training, Labour andWomen’s Affairs.

She said neither her specialized commission nor that of the NationalAssembly, the lower house of Parliament, can alone achieve in the taskof keeping HIV/AIDS at bay. She said the handbook resembled a “livingdictionary” which all parliamentarians and their staff could use tofurther educate themselves about the virus and carry with them tospread the messages about prevention and care to their constituents.

UN Resident Coordinator Douglas Broderick noted that Cambodia isrecognised as both a world and regional leader in its response to HIV.The country has also achieved the Millennium Development Goal onreducing HIV/AIDS prevalence and is working to ensure that it reachesits ambitious yet achievable Universal Access targets for HIVprevention, treatment, care and support by the end of 2010.

With the valuable information contained in the handbook and greaterengagement from parliamentarians, he said Cambodia could furtherenhance its success in the fight against the disease.

“You can take the lead in ensuring that Cambodia’s success in beatingback HIV and AIDS continues and is even stronger in the future,” hesaid at the launch.

The handbook was produced by UNDP’s Legislative Assistance Project(LEAP) and UNAIDS in collaboration with the Parliament and the NationalAIDS Authority with technical support provided by USAID’s PrasitProject.