About this Episode
Some of the world’s most inspiring public health stories don’t make headlines because they’re about preventing illness rather than treating it. Cambodia has just written one of those stories.
The country has become the first in Asia and the Pacific to achieve the global 95-95-95 HIV targets, a major milestone set by UNAIDS on the path to ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. The targets mean that 95% of people living with HIV know their status, 95% of those diagnosed receive treatment, and 95% of those on treatment have successfully suppressed the virus to undetectable levels—dramatically improving their health while preventing transmission.
Cambodia’s achievement is the result of more than three decades of sustained investment in public health. Since the epidemic peaked in the late 1990s, the country has expanded free testing, made antiretroviral treatment widely available, strengthened community outreach and worked closely with local organisations to reduce stigma and ensure people receive care. As a result, new HIV infections have fallen dramatically, and the country is now on track to eliminate AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
Importantly, health officials stress that the work is not over. Nearly 1,000 new HIV infections were still recorded in 2025, most among key populations and their partners. The next challenge is to reduce new infections even further while continuing to fight discrimination and ensure everyone has access to prevention, testing and treatment.
Even so, Cambodia’s success offers hope far beyond its borders. It shows that with political commitment, community engagement and accessible healthcare, one of the world’s most devastating epidemics can be brought under control.
Sometimes, the greatest medical breakthroughs aren’t new medicines—they’re making sure the medicines we already have reach everyone who needs them.
