Mobile Populations and HIV Vulnerability: Selected Responses in South East Asia

In spite of recent decades of unprecedented economic growth and industrialization in South East Asia, the bulk of economic activity is still based on agricultural production in rural areas. While urbanization continues to be a key demographic trend, most people still live in rural areas working in the agricultural sector. This is especially the case for Cambodia where an estimated 11.5 million people, or 80 per cent of the population, are living and working in rural areas. In Cambodia, as elsewhere in South East Asia, rural populations, due to their sheer size, must be at the center of any effective national programme to mitigate the socio-economic impact of HIV/AIDS.