Press Releases
United States Launches $77 Million Health Program
Released in Phnom Penh, March 26, 2009
The United States today introduced a five-year, $77 million program that will cover the breadth of U.S. health activities in Cambodia and support the Royal Government of Cambodia’s national health plan, Health Sector Plan 2008-2015.
The new health program will complement and expand existing U.S. programs on HIV, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, bringing expected U.S. support for Cambodia’s health sector to a total of $175 million over the next five years.
The program was designed against a backdrop of improving health indicators in Cambodia in recent years. HIV prevalence has been halved to less than 1% since 1998, while most child-health indicators have improved by about a third, among other successes. However, the maternal mortality rate remains one of the highest in Southeast Asia, while infectious diseases like tuberculosis continue to be a challenge.
The new health program will address these issues while also working to strengthen the country’s health system through management improvements and technical training. It will also expand the successful Health Equity Funds project, which has provided free care to 1.3 million poor people while improving the level of services for all Cambodians.
“This program builds on over 15 years of successful work in Cambodia, and it reaffirms the continued commitment of the United States to improving the health of all Cambodians,” U.S. Ambassador Carol A. Rodley said at a reception to launch the program in Phnom Penh on March 26.
Through USAID and the Global Fund, the United States has provided over $370 million since 1993 to support Cambodian health priorities.
