Recent health initiatives have been launched in Cambodia to address prevalent communicable diseases such as tuberculosis (TB) and measles-rubella (MR). On October 31, Cambodia launched a nationwide measles-rubella vaccination campaign aimed at protecting over 1.5 million children under five. Led by the Ministry of Health, with financial support from Gavi and technical assistance from WHO, UNICEF, and CHAI, the initiative seeks to close immunity gaps and prevent outbreaks. In 2023, Cambodia's national coverage for the first and second MR vaccine doses was 79% and 64%, respectively—below the levels required to prevent disease outbreaks. The campaign prioritizes children aged 9 to 59 months, including those who previously received an MR vaccine, to boost community immunity, particularly in hard-to-reach and vulnerable populations. The effort aligns with Cambodia’s goal of becoming measles-free and strengthening national health security.
Complementary to the Ministry’s efforts, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Samantha Power announced new U.S. initiatives to support Cambodia’s health and safety goals during her recent visit to the country, with a strong focus on ending TB by 2030. USAID launched a five-year program, Community Mobilization Initiatives to End Tuberculosis 2 (COMMIT 2), led by local NGO KHANA, with an initial $4 million investment to strengthen TB screening, diagnosis, and preventive therapy. This will further support the National TB Strategic Plan to End TB (2021-2030), World Health Organization’s (WHO) End TB Strategy, and USAID’s Global TB Strategy 2023 - 2030.
