Upcoming project

By Ng Sei Li

[Breast feeding exercise at Royal Ankor International Hospital]

Salus is pleased to announce the launch of our Safe Breastfeeding Project. This is in collaboration with Royal Angkor International Hospital in Siem Reap.

The project serves to inform locals about exclusive and hygienic breastfeeding to HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) positive women in rural communities.

The project will target all HIV infected women, with the main focus on mothers and pregnant women. Our efforts aim to minimize mother-to-child transmission of HIV during breastfeeding process.

Fifty female volunteers will be selected to participate in an extensive two month course. This course consists of two parts:

1) Volunteers will have to attend daily lessons which educate them on HIV infection and childcare issues in rural Cambodia. Also, volunteers will be learning conversational Khmer language in order to communicate better with the locals.

2) Volunteers will undergo training on safe breastfeeding procedures and how to identify HIV symptoms. Upon the completion of the course, volunteers will be ready to impart their knowledge to HIV patients in Cambodia. The lessons and training are free and will be conducted by professional medical personnel from Royal Angkor International Hospital.

At the end of the course, the selected volunteers will act as breastfeeding advisors in the local communities.

A community-based project

As a community-based project, volunteers will move from one community to another. At each community, Salus will organize workshops in schools through the assistance of identified community leaders. The workshops will be conducted in Khmer language.

As breastfeeding advisors, volunteers will educate the participants on necessary preventive interventions during breastfeeding. These will help to decrease the risk of HIV infection in infants through breast milk.

Also, our volunteers will dedicate time for home visitations, providing personal attentions to the participants if needed.

The fight against AIDS

Cambodia is identified as the highest HIV prevalence Asia country by the World Health Organization (WHO). HIV causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) which eventually leads to death. This is common in Cambodia due to the lack of medical care.

In Cambodia, HIV is usually spread within the family. Almost half of new infections occur among married women. A third of all new children infections are due to mother-to-child transmission. [i]

Many of these HIV infected women tend to be discriminated by other people. Not only do they lack the crucial help needed against the virus, they are also clueless about the transmission process. Thus, children become vulnerable victims.

Currently, one in eight children [in Cambodia] dies before age five due to AIDS.[ii] Salus believes immediate attention is needed in this worrying situation.

As a result of the project, Salus hopes to decrease mother-to-children HIV transmission rate by 3 per cent.

The project is estimated to last for two years with an annual cost of US$5,000, fully funded by Salus Foundation.

Thus, let us work towards our mission. Let us work hand in hand to build and educate a nation of healthy Cambodian citizens.

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[i] Shantha Bloemen. (2008). UNICEF-supported programme cares for Cambodian children living with HIV. UNICEF. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/aids/cambodia_44760.html.

[ii] Agence France Presse. (2004). Media Campaign to Highlight HIV/AIDS Issues in Cambodia. Utopia-Asia. Retrieved from http://www.utopia-asia.com/aidscam.htm.