Cambodia: „I can go out with my friends again,“ rejoices Vibol

„I got a new chance,“ rejoices sixteen years old Vibol, who lives with his mother in Kandal province in Cambodia. We know Vibol for ten years. When he was six years old, a high stage of HIV infection was diagnosed to him. Under the supervision of a MAGNA doctor and a social worker Vibol noticed an immediate improvement of his health condition. 

After 4 years of treatment and intensive monitoring by MAGNA paramedics, they relied on Vibol and his mother to take care of the accurate dosage of drugs by themselves. He was 11 years old and his mother was busy with her work. Vibol took his drugs often late, sometimes he even missed his dose. The irresponsible use of the treatment led to the significant deterioration of his health. The inaccurate and irregular dosage of drugs causes an increase of HIV viral values in the human body and the treatment ceases to be effective. 

MAGNA paramedics started again to cooperate closely with Vibol and his mother. Vibol started to attend a regular individual therapeutic sessions, he got support tools like an alarm clock, which reminds him the time to take drugs, a box with one week dose of drugs and a calendar with a detailed plan for the use of drugs. MAGNA field worker has been visiting Vibol at home twice a month in order to count the tablets and to remind to mother and her child how to take them correctly. After three months of intensive care, the viral load retreated and after six months became undetectable. Now Vibol is in the second cycle of his treatment. „We will make it together with my Mom!“ he says determinedly.

MAGNA operates in Cambodia since 2002, when as one of the first started to carry on ARV treatment and health care for HIV/AIDS children in Cambodia. Since that time we have provided health and social care to thousands of victims of AIDS epidemy in Cambodia. Besides the provision of treatment for hundrends of infected children, we helped to more than 1500 HIV/AIDS mothers to birth of a healthy child without HIV.