USAID administrator Samantha Power (right) shakes hands with a woman in Siem Reap province during the first visit of a USAID administrator to Cambodia on October 22. Samantha Power via X
The US, through USAID, has announced a series of new initiatives aimed at improving the health, safety and wellbeing of the Cambodian people.
During her visit to Cambodia, USAID administrator Samantha Power outlined the US commitment to a range of programmes, including tackling tuberculosis (TB), reducing exposure to harmful heavy metals and supporting demining efforts, according to an October 22 USAID press release.
.jpg)
USAID spokesperson Benjamin Suarato said that Power’s first major announcement focused on a new five-year initiative to combat TB. USAID has pledged $4 million for the first year of the “Community Mobilization Initiatives to End Tuberculosis 2” (COMMIT 2) programme, one of its largest direct awards ever to a local Cambodian organisation.
The release noted the programme, which will be implemented by the Khmer HIV/AIDS NGO Alliance (KHANA), aims to accelerate TB case finding, improve screening and diagnosis and increase access to preventive therapies.
“Through COMMIT 2 … USAID will partner with Cambodia to improve TB screening and diagnosis, digital case reporting, and access to preventive therapies,” it stated.
Suarato highlighted that while visiting the Svay Thom Pagoda in Siem Reap province, Power met with local partners who are working to implement innovative TB screening solutions. Despite the country’s removal from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) High TB Burden Country list in 2021, the country remains on the global TB watchlist, with Covid-19 setbacks hindering case detection.
Power reinforced USAID’s commitment to helping Cambodia meet its goal of ending TB as a public health threat by 2030, the release added.
In addition to the TB initiative, Power announced $1 million in partnership with UNICEF and the Cambodian government to conduct a national survey on heavy metals such as lead and arsenic.
This first-of-its-kind survey will evaluate the levels of these harmful substances in children, pregnant women, and the environment. The results will support evidence-based policy decisions to improve regulations, aiming to reduce lead exposure and ensure healthier lives for Cambodians, according to the release.
Power also turned her attention to the country’s decades-long battle with landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXOs). With $12 million in new funding, USAID will continue its support for demining activities in Cambodia, focusing on landmine clearance and community education.
“To date, US partners have cleared more than 1.5 million landmines and UXOs from approximately 230,000 acres of land in Cambodia,” noted USAID, underscoring the life-saving importance of these efforts.
According to Suarato, Power met with trade union members and labour activists working at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Angkor Wat in Siem Reap. She discussed pressing labour rights issues and how USAID support helps address challenges related to working conditions.
Suarato said Power highlighted the Biden administration’s ongoing efforts to advance worker rights, including through the 2023 Presidential Memorandum on Advancing Worker Empowerment.
He noted that USAID has long supported the trade union movement in Cambodia, and Power reiterated the agency’s commitment to continue working alongside Cambodian worker organisations to uphold labour standards.
These initiatives, ranging from health improvements to demining and worker rights, reflect the deep and multi-faceted partnership between the US and Cambodia. As Cambodia progresses toward its development goals, USAID’s investments in health, safety and worker empowerment are set to play a crucial role in the country’s future, according to Suarato.
