PRESS RELEASE 7 April, 2026
JOINT PRESS RELEASE of the Royal Government of Cambodia and the United States of America on the Bilateral Health Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Data Sharing Agreement (DSA)
By U.S. Mission Cambodia
07 April 2026 – Phnom Penh
On 02 April 2026, His Excellency Senior Minister Chhieng Yanara, Second Vice-Chairman of the Council for Development of Cambodia, and His Excellency Prof. Chheang Ra, Minister of Health, signed a bilateral health Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and a Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) on behalf of the Royal Government of Cambodia, with Chargé d’Affaires Bridgette L. Walker of the United States Embassy.
This five-year, $36 million MOU establishes a comprehensive framework to strengthen the bilateral health partnership, ultimately contributing to the public health and well-being of both the Cambodian and American people. Through the bilateral health MOU, the United States will continue to cooperate with the Royal Government of Cambodia by supporting priority global health security programs in the joint fight against infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria. The DSA establishes protocols to ensure that health data collected and shared under the agreement is managed in accordance with the highest standards of privacy and data security.
An important objective of the MOU is to further strengthen infectious disease surveillance, outbreak response, laboratory networks, and data systems. The bilateral health MOU will incorporate a progressive transition of responsibility to the Royal Government of Cambodia in line with its strategy to reinforce national systems and institutional capacity. These joint efforts will drive action and contribute to Cambodia’s goals of eliminating malaria, ending HIV as a public health threat, reducing tuberculosis incidence and mortality, and ensuring the timely detection and response to infectious disease outbreaks.
Over the five-year period, the United States Government, working with Congress, plans to provide more than USD $30 million and the Royal Government of Cambodia will continue to increase domestic health expenditures by more than USD $5 million, reflecting the commitment of both governments to strengthening Cambodia’s ability to achieve long-term sustainability in the health sector.
The MOU also provides for the establishment of a Joint Health Cooperation Steering Committee (JHCSC), composed of senior representatives from both governments and relevant stakeholders. The committee will serve as a coordination and oversight mechanism to monitor progress, guide implementation, and periodically review activities to ensure effectiveness and alignment with the shared objectives of the partnership.
Upon signing, Chargé d’Affaires Bridgette L. Walker highlighted the significance of the agreements, noting: “Together, these two arrangements represent a milestone in the more than 30 years of health sector cooperation between the United States and Cambodia. The Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy supports U.S. national interests and makes significant progress toward securing a future in which we stop outbreaks before they impact the people of the United States or our neighbors abroad. To do so, we will pursue bilateral health MOUs, like this one with the Royal Government of Cambodia, to advance durable and locally led health systems that save lives by preventing the spread of infectious diseases. We are proud to continue working alongside the Royal Government of Cambodia to support strengthening the capacity of its institutions to address today’s public health challenges and prepare for the emerging threats of tomorrow.”
His Excellency Senior Minister Chhieng Yanara emphasized that human capital development is among the Cambodia’s top priorities for development. He noted: “The Royal Government of Cambodia places great importance on development cooperation that contributes to strengthening our national health system and safeguarding the well-being of our people for human capital development. The signing of the MOU reflects the spirit of cooperation and partnership between Cambodia and the United States, while reaffirming Cambodia’s leadership to advancing our national health priorities, strengthening institutional capacity, and ensuring that the achievements in public health are sustained for the benefit of our nations and people.”
This bilateral health MOU underscores a mutual commitment to safeguarding and advancing shared health gains and protecting the well-being of the Cambodian and American people, while directly supporting the long-term objective of building a resilient and self-sustainable health system led by the Royal Government of Cambodia.
Source: U.S. Embassy in Cambodia
https://kh.usembassy.gov/joint-press-release/
For more HIV and AIDS News visit...
Back to ...
Positively Positive - Living with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS News
For more HIV and AIDS News visit...
Positively Positive - Living with HIV/AIDS: HIV/AIDS News Archive
|
