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Cambodia has a population of 11 million, composed mostly of
ethnic Khmer, who are involved in complex relationships with
large populations of Thai and Vietnamese on either side of
their country. The recent history of the country has been
marked by civil war and only in the last few years has a
fragile parliamentary democracy emerged at the level of the
national Government.
Cambodia has a
severe, heterosexually transmitted, generalised HIV
epidemic, driven by brothel-based commercial sex. Injecting
drug use is rare. Over 3 percent of those in the sexually
active population are infected. In 1999, aggregate HIV
seroprevalence was 33 percent among brothel-based sex workers.
Rates among sex workers in the hospitality industry are lower,
at 19 percent. About 4.7 percent of policemen were infected.
About 170,000 people in Cambodia were living with HIV/AIDS in
2000.
Internal
seasonal migration, external migration, and Vietnamese
immigration play a major part in HIV vulnerability. Studies
find strong links between HIV/AIDS and the employment-driven
migration of construction workers, factory workers, both
brothel-based and hospitality industry sex workers, seasonal
agricultural workers, and traders. |
