Roche collaboration achieves milestone in country with highest HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in Asia

The Cambodia Treatment Access Programme (CTAP) has successfully enrolled more than 1000 men, women and children infected with HIV/AIDS to receive care and treatment free of charge. The aim of the collaboration, which was established in 2003 as a three-way partnership between the Cambodian Ministry of Health, the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research at the University of New South Wales, Australia and Roche, is to help tackle HIV/AIDS in Cambodia, the country with the highest prevalence rate in Asia.

William Burns, CEO Division Roche Pharmaceuticals, commented, �The achievement of CTAP demonstrates what can be achieved through collaboration. Roche, as a company, believes that to tackle diseases such as HIV/AIDS, it is vital that we use our skills and resources, together with those of other expert organisations. CTAP would not have been possible without the work of all three partners, who have created a programme that we hope will continue to be successful and treat many more people with HIV/AIDS in the future.�

�HIV/AIDS is now being addressed through programmes such as CTAP, which not only provides vital treatment and care, but also ensures that the healthcare professionals who provide HIV/AIDS care receive the necessary training�, explains Dr. Mean Chhi Vun, Director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STDS. �CTAP has helped many people affected, directly and indirectly, by HIV/AIDS in Cambodia. We are extremely proud to have achieved this first milestone. With global funding now reaching Cambodia, we expect to provide treatment to increasing numbers of people at the CTAP social health clinic.�

David Cooper, CTAP Steering Committee Member and Director and Professor of Medicine at the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research in Australia commented, �Reaching the 1000 patient milestone is a great achievement and demonstrates the positive impact CTAP is having on the people of Cambodia. It is a real testament to the commitment and hard work of everyone involved and demonstrates the benefits of adopting a collaborative approach.�

About the Cambodia Treatment Access Programme (CTAP)

Initially, the partners� efforts were concentrated on successfully establishing the Social Health Clinic, a new outpatient HIV medical service in Phnom Penh, but going forward an increased emphasis is being placed upon creating sustainable HIV/AIDS resource to help ensure its success long-term. Whilst the financial support initially provided by Roche enabled drugs, diagnostics and training to be secured, and allowed CTAP to initiate patients on treatment, additional sources of funding and resources are now being secured from other organizations, who, having seen the impact of the programme, have committed additional support. As part of CTAP, a training programme has been established to help enhance local HIV/AIDS knowledge and skills, and facilitate the national expansion of quality HIV care. CTAP staff has been involved with the delivery of the Cambodia�s National Training Curriculum for Clinicians, the development of the Training Curriculums for Counselors and Pharmacists, and delivery of in-house training.

About Roche

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world�s leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As a supplier of innovative products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people�s health and quality of life. Roche is a world leader in diagnostics, the leading supplier of drugs for cancer and transplantation and a market leader in virology. Roche employs roughly 70,000 people in 150 countries and has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai. Additional information about the Roche Group is available on the Internet at www.roche.com.

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Additional information

- Cambodian Ministry of Health:

www.cambodia.gov.kh/unisql1/egov/english/ministry.detail.html?link=9

- Australian National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research:

www.med.unsw.edu.au/nchecr

- Sustainable Development at Roche: www.roche.com/sustainability

- Roche Pharmaceuticals in HIV/AIDS: www.roche-hiv.com