For Immediate Release
April 27, 2020
The United States Government this week committed an additional $1.5 million in funds to assist Cambodia in the fight against COVID-19. Since the beginning of the epidemic, the United States has committed over $3.5 million in total to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in Cambodia. The assistance, delivered through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is will fund risk communication, community engagement, infection prevention and control, and laboratory support.
“Supporting Cambodia’s response to COVID-19 continues our long-standing health cooperation and partnership with Cambodia,” said U.S. Ambassador W. Patrick Murphy. “Defeating the pandemic is a global challenge and the United States is working both at home and abroad to stop the spread of the disease. Our additional assistance will help Cambodia’s health system track the disease, treat those who are sick, and prevent further transmission of COVID-19.”
“The Royal Government of Cambodia and the United States Government have shared a long history of productive and effective partnership in strengthening health systems, addressing infectious diseases, and improving health outcomes for Cambodians, the region, and the world,” he said, adding, “We continue this collaboration with the Cambodian people with even greater determination in the face of the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19.”
Through existing public health partnerships, coordinating with the Royal Government of Cambodia, international humanitarian partners, and other local stakeholders, the U.S. government supports:
- Case management to strengthen clinical care and minimize the risk of onwards transmission to others.
- Infection prevention and control to prevent and control infections in health-care facilities.
- Laboratory strengthening to prepare for large-scale testing of COVID-19.
- Points-of-entry public health screening to help Cambodia implement emergency plans to screen people arriving at countries’ various points of entry, such as airports and land-border crossings.
- Communication and public messaging to help educate people on steps they can take to prevent and respond to the spread of the virus.
- Surveillance and rapid response to enhance with case-finding, as well as training and support for rapid-response teams to investigate cases and conduct contact tracing.
In Cambodia, the U.S. Embassy provides health assistance through an interagency team including USAID, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes for Health, the U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit-2, the U.S. Department of State, and other organizations. U.S. health assistance helps Cambodia to fight HIV, Malaria, TB, and other infectious diseases; improve maternal and child health; and strengthen the overall health system.
For decades, the United States has been the world’s largest provider of bilateral assistance in public health. An infectious disease threat anywhere can become a threat everywhere; the United States calls on all donors to join and contribute to the global effort to combat COVID-19.
