• Your Excellency, Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam An, Minister of National Assembly-Senate Relations and Inspection;
• Your Excellency, Dr. Mam Bun Heng, Minister of Health;
• Ms. Marie-Odile Emond, Country Director, UNAIDS and Chair of the KHANA Board of Directors;
• Mr. Choub Sok Chamreun, KHANA Executive Director;
• Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my great pleasure to be here to celebrate KHANA’s contribution to the HIV response in Cambodia and to launch the new strategic plan for 2016-2020. This event takes place at an important time, especially because of the 2030 global agenda and Cambodia’s strong commitment to virtually eliminate new HIV infections by 2025.  That’s five years earlier than the global goal!

KHANA’s success is due to its strong partnerships with the Ministry of Health, local and international NGOs, its experience and ability to develop HIV projects that are truly rooted in the community.  It has championed change by making local NGOs, civil society, and communities stronger so that they can ensure their voices are heard and their rights are respected.  It has also recruited and fostered a strong team of dedicated Cambodian men and women who develop innovative and cost-effective services and work with the health system to make them available to all who need them. 

USAID has been very fortunate to have had KHANA as a partner since 1997.  It now manages more than half of our HIV portfolio and has become the largest NGO recipient of Global Fund resources in Cambodia.

We’ve seen our KHANA colleagues in action all over the country.  Their work with many of Cambodia’s most vulnerable citizens has truly made a difference in those communities.  It’s a story that many people want to see for themselves, which is why we visit KHANA’s sites quite often.

As Cambodia continues to work towards HIV elimination, we have reached a critical crossroads in the response.  As new HIV infections decrease and external donor funding declines, we need to look for more cost-effective ways to reach and serve people who are at highest risk of HIV.  We also need to continuously improve the quality of life-long HIV care and treatment services for people living with HIV.

Today, services for entertainment workers, men who have sex with men, transgender women and people who inject drugs are provided by service-delivery NGOs like KHANA and its partners.  We need to look critically at how their role and their relationship with the Royal Government of Cambodia will need to change to meet the needs of the shrinking epidemic.  I am confident that KHANA’s Strategic Plan will help us think through some of those issues.   

Once again, on behalf of USAID, I would like to thank the Royal Government of Cambodia, NCHADS, provincial health departments, NGO colleagues, development partners, and key affected population networks.  We are proud to work with you to promote and improve the health and well-being of the Cambodian people.

I wish you all success.  Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak to you today.