How Cambodia became the first Asian country to hit an elusive HIV target

Cambodia is the first country in Asia to meet the U.N. targets for controlling HIV. Above: A vendor in Phnom Penh sits by a banner marking World AIDS Day. Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Ninety-five percent of people living there, who are HIV positive, know their status.

Ninety-five percent of HIV-positive people are taking medication that lowers the amount of the virus in their body.

And 95% of people on HIV medication have a viral load so low, they're considered virally suppressed. This means they have an almost zero risk of passing HIV on to their partners.

In June, Cambodia became the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to reach this milestone, which the U.N. has set as a goal for every country to achieve by the year 2030. The 95-95-95 targets were called ambitious and daunting when UNAIDS set them in 2020.

But since then, 11 nations, most of which are in Africa, have achieved them . Denmark is the one European nation on the list.

Many Asian countries — including wealthy ones like Japan and South Korea –- have struggled to make these gains, says Dr. Annette Sohn , director of amfAR's TREAT Asia program, a network of clinics and researchers serving people with HIV.

"Sometimes people will think —– why is it that we are not able to manage HIV control?" Sohn says. "The number one challenge continues to be stigma."