Srey Santhor District
On 7 December, 1999, the first AIDS Day event in Srey Santhor district was organized by SHARE, District Health Office, and Srey Santhor district AIDS Committee. Around 1300 people gathered for the event. They are students, polices, soldiers, villagers, village chiefs, health staff and so on.
This event was held to increase knowledge on HIV/AIDS and to understand the situations of AIDS patients and their family. Every month, at least, a couple of people died of AIDS in Srey Santhor district, even the district is a remote rural area, which is two hour drive from Phnom Penh. There is no reliable statistics data of the district available, but anyone cannot dispute that the trend of AIDS death continue to raise. Actually, there are various reasons for the trend, but a lack of people's knowledge on HIV/AIDS is one of the important reasons. Concerning such a situation, this event was organized.
At first, people marched in the district capital village with HIV/AIDS information banners for one hour from the district office to the event place (Srey Santhor high school) through a crowded market. During the march, health staff distributed information leaflets for villagers, who seemed to be surprised by the march of several hundred people.
After the march, the event started in the high school by the district governor's speech then proceeded to the report of HIV/AIDS situation in the world and Cambodia, role play, the demonstration of condom use, and quiz on HIV/AIDS.
|
Students from the Srey Santhor high school and two junior high schools were marching to celebrate AIDS Day. |
Participants from various sectors in Srei Santhor district were gathering in the high school for the event. The people in a khaki uniform are police officers. |
 |
 |
A giant condom made by cloth was used to demonstrate how to wear condom and to raise awareness on HIV/AIDS prevention. |
Students were on the stage to answer true or fault HIV/AIDS questions. Students holds a red card for true answer, while a blue card for false answer. |
 |