News

COMBAT-AMR is a collaboration between the Doherty Institute and partners across the region, with Phase I completed in 2023 that was focused on Pacific Island Countries, and Phase II recently commenced, that will broaden its focus to the Asia-Pacific. COMBAT-AMR aims to align and strengthen implementation of national AMR Action Plans through targeted interventions, supported by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Centre for Health Security.

In Cambodia, COMBAT-AMR will focus on two key areas: laboratory diagnostics and surveillance. This will be enhanced through mentoring and training on laboratory quality management strengthening and best practice requirements for AMR diagnostics. The program will work closely with government agencies, hospitals, and public health institutions to identify priority needs and co-design a tailored workplan.

Dr Krang Sidonn, Deputy-Director of the Communicable Disease Control Department at the Cambodia Ministry of Health, is excited to work with the team from the Doherty Institute:

"We are thrilled to welcome COMBAT-AMR to Cambodia and look forward to the valuable contributions they will make to our efforts to address AMR," she said.

"This partnership will strengthen our national capacity and enable us to provide better care for our people."

The University of Melbourne’s Professor Ben Howden, Co-Lead of COMBAT-AMR and Co-Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for AMR, is also looking forward to the commencement of the program:

"COMBAT-AMR is committed to supporting countries like Cambodia in their pathway towards implementing policy frameworks for AMR. We are excited to collaborate with the Cambodian team and build upon existing relationships to strengthen their capacity and improve health outcomes, for both the country and the Asia-Pacific region as a whole."

During their visit, the COMBAT-AMR team conducted a comprehensive assessment of the current situation and identified key priorities for Cambodia. They engaged in productive discussions with stakeholders from the Ministry of Health, National Institute of Public Health, Calmette Hospital, and Takéo Referral Hospital.

A collaborative workshop was held to develop a detailed workplan for the next three years (2025-2027). This plan will outline specific activities and deliverables to enhance Cambodia's capacity to prevent, diagnose, and manage AMR pathogens.

COMBAT-AMR works in partnership with government, National AMR Committees and public health counterparts in Fiji, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Cambodia, to implement capacity building and training activities to support the prevention, diagnosis, surveillance and management of AMR pathogens, under the framework of National AMR Action Plans and priorities. COMBAT-AMR is part of the Doherty Institute’s Strategic Partnership for prevention, surveillance and response to Infectious Diseases across the Indo-Pacific region, supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Security’s Partnerships for a Healthy Region initiative.