In September 2025, an ICARS delegation travelled to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to attend a two-day national workshop on strengthening antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), which included the launch of the ICARS-supported AMS HICAP project. The workshop was inaugurated by H.E. Minister of Health, Dr. Chheang Ra, underscoring Cambodia’s strong national commitment to addressing AMR, signalling political support for the new project, and generating wider attention in the national media. During the inauguration, ICARS Executive Director, Dr. Sujith J Chandy, gave a stirring address on the consequences of AMR and what ICARS does towards mitigation:
“AMR is a real and present danger not just to societies, but to each one of us on a personal basis. We at ICARS are therefore appreciative that Cambodia, its leadership and people have risen to the challenge and come together to co-develop context-specific, cost-effective solutions towards AMR mitigation.”
The workshop brought together 200 participants from all 25 provinces, including leadership from the Ministry of Health (MoH), national and provincial level government officials, hospital directors from national, provincial, and district referral hospitals, AMS focal points, WHO representatives, academics, development partners, professional associations and civil society organisations to:
- Strengthen commitment and participation from high-level policymakers and stakeholders in advancing AMS.
- Review progress in implementing national AMS policies and guidelines in healthcare facilities.
- Facilitate knowledge exchange through presentations, poster sessions, and hospital case studies showcasing national, regional, and international experiences.
- Foster collaboration via the AMS Alliance Network, connecting national and provincial hospitals.
- Enhance coordination with partners to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of AMS programmes
- Launch the ICARS-supported AMS HICAP project
During the workshop, Senior Science Advisor, Dr. Jyoti Joshi, presented on the technical foundations of the ICARS-supported project, and Science Advisor, Dr. Wesal Zaman, contributed to a panel on behavioural sciences in AMS.
More on the AMS-HICAP project
The new project is the outcome of sustained engagement since 2023 among ICARS, the Cambodian MoH, and other national stakeholders. The collaboration began with the co-development and implementation of a one-year AMS scoping project, the findings from which fed into a new three-year project on reducing inappropriate antimicrobial use for inpatients with community-acquired pneumonia. Led by the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) with engagement from the MoH, National University of Singapore, KHANA Centre for Population Health Research, Calmette Hospital and Angkor Hospital for Children, the project will introduce hospital-based AMS programmes in six hospitals and generate evidence to support national scale-up.
From the National University of Singapore, the technical partner engaged in the AMS-HICAP project, the workshop was attended by Dr Tsu Li Yang, Vice Dean of Global Health and Programme Leader of Infectious Diseases at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Dr. Alvin Chua, Assistant Professor, NUS.
Next steps
While in Cambodia, the ICARS delegation also supported early implementation by working with the project team to finalise study protocols, align the scoping study with the main project, and visit hospitals to assess facilities, laboratory capacity, and data systems.
With strong national engagement and international collaboration, the project marks a major step forward in addressing antimicrobial resistance and strengthening Cambodia’s health system.
