Five nations to fight HIV migrants

Five nations to fight HIV migrants

PHNOM PENH (DPA): Representatives from four countries
neighboring Cambodia gathered in the capital on Wednesday to sign
an agreement to curb HIV transmission among the increasing number
of migrants in the region, especially workers, officials said.

Representatives from China, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and
Vietnam signed a memorandum of understanding intended to increase
cooperation between countries to combat the spread of the deadly
virus, which may be hastened by the effects of globalization,
officials said.

Economic development within ASEAN and surrounding countries is
reliant on the mobility of people for exchanging knowledge, goods
and services, but this development can also be threatened by the
resulting spread of HIV, representatives from the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP) said.

When workers, especially women, go to areas where they have
limited legal status and access to services, or travel from low
to high HIV prevalence areas, they become more vulnerable to the
virus, UNDP representatives said.