At a glance
CDC Cambodia, established in 2002, collaborates with the Kingdom of Cambodia’s Ministry of Health (MOH) and other partner organizations to strengthen the capacity to detect, prevent, and respond to public health threats. Priority program areas address HIV, influenza, COVID-19, and other respiratory illnesses and infectious diseases. CDC’s work aims to protect the health of Americans and support public health around the world.
Key accomplishments
- Helped establish an influenza surveillance system. Later adapted to include COVID-19, the system now also monitors respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
- Initiated Cambodia’s sharing of influenza virus isolates with CDC headquarters. Data inform global vaccine composition.
- Facilitated the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), Cambodia’s National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) reference laboratory, in becoming the first public medical laboratory to achieve international standard accreditation (ISO) 15189 Plus™ in 2019 and recertification in 2023. In 2025, the Siem Reap Provincial Hospital and the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Dermatology and STD laboratories achieved accreditation and NPHL’s recertification was expanded to include its microbiology lab.
- Supported 274 public health professionals to complete field epidemiology training programs, with 256 individuals currently working as field epidemiologists.
- Established an influenza molecular biology laboratory at the NIPH, which quickly supported identification and characterization of new and emerging influenza viruses.
- Contributed to a 99% reduction in malaria cases since 2011.
- With CDC support, in 2024, 92% of people living with HIV in Cambodia knew their status. Among these, 100% are on antiretroviral therapy and more than 98% achieved viral suppression.
- Provided high-yield methods to find more people with undiagnosed HIV and connect them to treatment.
Global health security
CDC works to strengthen the country's ability to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to public health threats and emergencies across the following core areas:
Surveillance systems
CDC works with partners in Cambodia to improve public health surveillance systems, collecting and using health-related information to improve programs. CDC provides technical assistance to strengthen several infectious disease surveillance systems, including sentinel surveillance for antimicrobial resistance (AMR), severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) and influenza-like illness (ILI), notifiable disease (NDS), and acute febrile illness (AFI).
CDC also supports the Cambodian Event Monitoring Surveillance System, as well as surveillance for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, such as COVID-19 and monkeypox. CDC supported the MOH, the Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), and the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) to conduct a One Health Zoonotic Disease Prioritization Workshop in 2023. Participants reviewed evidence and agreed on five top priority zoonotic diseases: zoonotic avian influenza (bird flu), Nipah, COVID-19, Japanese encephalitis, and rabies.
Laboratory systems
CDC helps strengthen the quality of laboratory systems in Cambodia to accurately diagnose, monitor, and treat infections, including HIV, SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and other respiratory pathogens. CDC helped establish and provides support for a laboratory quality management system and an external quality assurance program. CDC is also supporting national and provincial laboratories to achieve international accreditation.
Workforce development
Cambodia's Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) was established in 2011. FETP trains public health staff at the national, provincial and district level in field-based epidemiology to detect, prevent, and control diseases to help prevent and rapidly mitigate infectious disease outbreaks. CDC Cambodia supports the frontline (basic 3-month course) and intermediate (9-month course) tiers of FETP, providing technical assistance and mentorship.
CDC is working closely with the MOH, MAFF and MOE to strengthen One Health Rapid Response team capacity to better prepare for joint multi-sectoral responses to zoonotic outbreaks and has established a One Health FETP frontline course. CDC has supported the participation of public health professionals in both CDC's Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) course and the ASEAN PHEM Emerging Leaders Program. CDC also strengthens laboratory leadership capacity through the regional Global Laboratory Leadership Program.
HIV
As a key implementer of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), CDC plays an essential role in the fight against HIV. With unmatched scientific and technical knowledge and long-standing relationships with ministries of health, CDC is uniquely positioned to advance HIV and other global health security activities that keep Americans safe at home and abroad.
Through PEPFAR, CDC provides critical support to Cambodia’s public health infrastructure, improving the country’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to HIV and other infectious diseases and minimizing the risk of potential health threats reaching American shores.
Malaria
CDC has collaborated with Cambodia's National Center for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria, and other partners to support implementation of malaria prevention and control activities in Cambodia since 2020. Through this work, CDC supports Cambodia's Elimination Action Framework to achieve a vision of a malaria-free Cambodia. Now, the country is on track to functionally eliminate malaria. Cambodia has not had a single death from malaria since 2017 and not one case of Plasmodium falciparum malaria, the most severe form, since January 2024.
CDC-supported activities have included providing technical input in:
- Surveillance (antimalarial drug case-based)
- Vector identification
- Malaria case management
- Supply chain management
- Social and behavior change communication
Influenza
CDC works with the Cambodian government and other partners to conduct influenza sentinel surveillance and build laboratory and response capacity. The network monitors seasonal influenza and detects novel influenza viruses among persons with respiratory illness. The platform has been expanded to test for SARS-CoV-2 and RSV. CDC supports surveillance for avian influenza A in live bird markets in multiple provinces.
CDC works closely with partners to respond to sporadic human infections of pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) (bird flu) virus. Partners include the MOH, MAFF, NIPH, Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, and the Wildlife Conservation Society of Cambodia.
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Success story spotlight
Enhancing Pandemic Preparedness through Outbreak Response in Cambodia
During 2023, six human cases of H5N1 avian influenza (bird flu) were detected in Cambodia. These are the first human cases identified in the country in nearly a decade. The first two cases were in a father and a daughter, raising global concern of possible person-to-person transmission.
CDC staff arrived within 24 hours to aid in a comprehensive outbreak investigation that leveraged local epidemiology, laboratory, and response capacities. Investigators quickly determined the source of infection and shared accurate information with the public. Throughout the investigation, CDC staff in Atlanta worked to support the in-country response and clarify the risk to the U.S. public.
Successful and comprehensive response was made possible by two decades of CDC engagement in the region, including supporting influenza surveillance and technical collaboration, developing strong partnerships with local governments and other partners, and maintaining a strong regional presence through Influenza Regional Hubs that readily provide outbreak support, resulting in stronger global health security overall.