(as prepared for delivery)

 

  • Excellencies Advisors and Directors of Provincial Health Departments
  • Dr. Huy Rekol, Director of the National Centre for Parasitology, Entomology, and Malaria
  • Mr. Earl W. Gast, URC President
  • Dr. Hala Jassmin Al Mossawi, URC Vice-President
  • Ladies and gentlemen

It is my honor to be here with you today representing USAID and the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative – also known as PMI.

This year the U.S. Embassy is celebrating the ties that bind the United States and Cambodia. In this quarter we are focusing on the themes of peace and security. Our shared goal of protecting Cambodians from malaria will both contribute and strengthen those important themes.    

PMI has been proudly supporting the Cambodia Malaria Elimination Project, CMEP, implemented by University Research Co, URC, since 2016. Under CMEP, we have celebrated many achievements. Allow me to share a few with you.

Together we piloted and then scaled up the 1-3-7 elimination model throughout CMEP provinces and the entire country. The approach has been highly successful as seen by the fact that Battambang and Pailin have had no indigenous cases of Plasmodium Falciparum or mixed infection in the last three years.

There has been a remarkable decline of malaria cases in highly endemic areas in Pursat province due to intensified approaches to targeting hard-to-reach populations. Back in 2018, Pursat had the highest number of malaria cases in Cambodia.  Within three years, Krovanh Health Operational District has drastically dropped the average total cases.  A remarkable achievement.

Also under CMEP, the radical treatment of Plasmodium vivax was piloted in Battambang and Pailin with great success, leading to CNM expanding radical cure nationwide. We are proud to be a part of all these successes.

I would like to congratulate CNM, the provincial and district teams and CMEP/URC who have created a very strong partnership that has undoubtedly contributed to these achievements.   

The Cambodia Malaria Elimination Project 2, or CMEP 2, was designed to build on CMEP’s experience and achievements and align with the Cambodian Malaria Elimination Action Framework 2 and support the country reach its elimination goal by 2025.  

Today, USAID Cambodia is proud to announce the launch of CMEP 2, a five-year project that will continue to be led by URC. While CMEP will close in October 2021, its important work will continue – with PMI’s support – through CMEP 2 starting in September 2021.  You will hear more about the scope of CMEP 2 activities from the URC team today.

While many malaria successes have been celebrated, we still face challenges in meeting elimination targets, such as reaching mobile populations, forest communities, and addressing Plasmodium vivax. We will continue to work closely with the Ministry of Health, CNM, WHO, and all malaria partners to face these challenges and push through to the last mile until there is no more malaria in Cambodia.

Thank you