CDC in Cambodia

HIV is a leading cause of death and a health threat to millions worldwide. As a key implementer of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), CDC works with Cambodia to build a sustainable, high-impact national HIV response program.

Cambodia was among the first PEPFAR countries to achieve epidemic control. Cambodia now aims to sustain control and eliminate HIV. CDC’s work focuses
on four main areas:
• Finding undiagnosed HIV cases
• Retaining patients on treatment and re-engaging patients who have been lost to follow-up
• Strengthening HIV surveillance and data use
• Improving laboratory systems

Tuberculosis is a serious health threat, especially for people living with HIV. Worldwide, TB is one of the leading causes of death among people living with HIV.
Source: www.cdc.gov/tb/topic/basics/tbhivcoinfection.htm

In today’s globally connected world, disease threats can spread faster and more unpredictably than ever before. CDC’s global health security work in Cambodia improves the country’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks. CDC provides support for coordinating International Health Regulations activities.

CDC strengthens Cambodia’s workforce capacity to investigate and respond to disease outbreaks through the establishment of developing workforce capacity through the Applied Epidemiology Training Program and the Cambodian Applied Veterinary Epidemiology Training.

CDC helps strengthen the quality of laboratory systems in Cambodia to accurately diagnose, monitor, and treat infections from HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, influenza viruses, and other pathogens. This includes assisting laboratories to prepare for and achieve international standards accreditation. CDC also works with the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STDs and key partners to improve the quality and access to HIV point-of-care and viral load testing services.

Malaria is a leading cause of death and disease in many countries, with young children and pregnant women as the groups most affected. Under the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative, CDC, in collaboration with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), supports Cambodia’s National Center for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria to pilot and expand malaria elimination activities in Western Cambodia. CDC and USAID also provide technical assistance for surveillance (antimalarial drug resistance and insecticide resistance), case management, supply chain management, vector monitoring and social and behavior change communication. PMI supports the National Malaria Strategic Vision of scaling up control and elimination activities for a malaria-free Cambodia by 2030.

Influenza viruses require continued vigilance to protect the United States and the world from seasonal influenza as well as novel strains that could trigger a pandemic. CDC works with the Cambodian government and partners to help build influenza surveillance and laboratory capacity. CDC also helps to identify and characterize circulating influenza viruses, supports early identification of novel influenza viruses and contributes to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Influenza Network.

Every year vaccines prevent an estimated 2.5 million deaths among children younger than age 5. Still, 1 child dies every 20 seconds from a disease that could have been prevented by a vaccine.

CDC supports the MoH and WHO to develop strategies that support Cambodia’s progress towards achieving the WHO Western Pacific Region’s twin goals of measles elimination and hepatitis B control.

CDC also provides technical assistance to maintain the polio-free status of the region, including Cambodia. Although Cambodia was certified as polio free in 2000, low coverage with polio vaccine and substandard acute flaccid paralysis surveillance has resulted in the country being at high risk for wild polio importation.