PHNOM PENH: The National AIDS Authority has categorically rejected social media claims that Cambodia is experiencing an uptick of HIV infections. It highlighted that the number of new infections in the Kingdom continues to decline and offered statistics to support this.
In a November 8 statement, the authority noted that data from the HIV/AIDS surveillance and response monitoring system managed by the Ministry of Health showed no evidence of an outbreak.
“There is no HIV outbreak. The above social media reports are false information,” it said.
Recent social media claims have alleged a surge in HIV infections, particularly in Preah Vihear province, with other accounts insisting that a “confidential source” within the health ministry had told them children aged 12 and above had contracted HIV and that the virus was currently spreading rapidly across Cambodia.
The authority explained that such claims were demonstrably false, as Cambodia had achieved the international 95-95-95 targets ahead of other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, a significant achievement in preventing and controlling the spread of HIV.
The targets mean that 95 per cent of people living with HIV know their status, 95 per cent of those diagnosed with HIV receive antiretroviral treatment, and 95 per cent of those receiving treatment have suppressed viral loads to levels so low that they cannot transmit the virus to others.
The health ministry noted that Cambodia has exceeded the targets, achieving 95-100-98 per cent status.
The statement highlighted that people living with HIV in Cambodia can access free treatment for life, as well as other support, through the country’s social protection system.
According to the AIDS authority, Cambodia recorded an estimated 17,000 to 25,000 new HIV infections annually during the 1990s. However, the number had fallen to about 1,700 by 2021 and declined to just 960 in 2025.
While rejecting the misinformation, the authority urged people who suspect they may have contracted HIV, particularly members of the LGBT+ community, to seek testing at health centres and referral hospitals nationwide.
Members of the public can also access HIV self-testing services by scanning a QR code to order free test kits in designated areas, such as Phnom Penh, Kandal, Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Poipet, Takeo, Preah Sihanouk, Siem Reap, Kampot and Kampong Cham.
The authority stressed that testing is essential for people to know their HIV status and receive timely treatment, while warning against spreading unverified information that could cause unnecessary public fear.
“Without HIV testing, no one can claim that HIV transmission has occurred,” the National AIDS Authority said. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
