16 November 2009
Cambodian sisters Srey Nga, 16, and Soy, 8, have a powerful, visible bond. Wherever they go, they hold hands: Soy fearful of losing her older sibling if she lets go, Srey holding on to her baby sister in a maternal, protective manner. All they have is each other.
Their father walked out on them after Soy was born. Then, four years ago, their mother died of an HIV- related illness. Fortunately, their uncle and his family took them in. However, after repeated bouts of illness and severe skin infections, the girls found out that they, like their mother, were HIV-positive. As a result, they were shunned and ostracized - by their uncle, his family and the other villagers.
"Once I knew that I also was sick like my mother and sister, I felt hopeless and wanted to die," said Srey.
Access to treatment
In May 2006, their uncle took them to an AIDS orphanage outside Phnom Penh, where they now live, alongside 160 other AIDS orphans.
Upon arrival, Srey had a change of heart. "I saw many people who are also like me… it gave me the will to live again."
Srey and Soy are just two of the estimated 33 million people worldwide living with HIV/AIDS. Thanks to a DFID-supported organisation, they are also among the 10% of children with HIV/AIDS who have access to treatment.
The organisation, Unitaid, has been working with other charities and the Cambodian government to purchase and distribute a series of diagnostic kits for children under 18 months. This joint effort saw 26% of exposed infants tested for HIV in 2008 – up from just 3% the previous year.
These tests allow children as young as six weeks old to be treated. "As soon as we know children are infected by HIV, we start the treatment," says Dr Mean Chhi Vu, director of Cambodia’s national HIV/AIDS centre.
Bringing down costs
DFID support for Unitaid has also helped it to provide second-line treatment for the growing number of people resistant to the antiretroviral drugs used to treat HIV/AIDS. “This is very important, because second-line treatment is very expensive for us," says Dr Vu.
Last year, an annual course of this treatment cost the equivalent of US$700 per patient, but now, thanks to Unitaid’s intervention, it comes in at US$590. More of Cambodia’s people are now accessing life-saving healthcare – which means more people like Srey and Soy have a better future ahead of them.
Facts and stats
- DFID provided £20 million to Unitaid in 2008/09.
- In partnership with the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative (CHAI), UNITAID has allocated US$3.7 million to support the treatment of more than 3,300 children in Cambodia.
- Unitaid has provided second-line therapy to nearly 2,300 Cambodian adults living with HIV.