ICARS has strengthened its collaboration with Cambodia through the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Kingdom of Cambodia.
The agreement builds on ICARS’ existing collaboration with the Cambodian Ministry of Health, established in 2024, and reflects Cambodia’s continued commitment to addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through a One Health approach.
The new MoU supports the launch of an ICARS-supported project focused on reducing antimicrobial use in Cambodia’s poultry sector through improved husbandry practices and prudent antimicrobial use.
Led by the Royal University of Agriculture and implemented in Kampong Speu and Tbong Khmum provinces, the three-year project will support poultry farmers, veterinarians, and animal health service providers through training on biosecurity, disease prevention, and responsible antimicrobial use.
“Through the co-development process, it has been a pleasure to work closely with our Cambodian partners to understand the local context, challenges, and opportunities related to antimicrobial use in poultry production. This collaborative approach has helped shape interventions that are both evidence-based and tailored to the realities of farmers and animal health service providers.” – Wesal Zaman, Science Advisor: Social and behavioural sciences, ICARS
The project aims to reduce antimicrobial use in small and medium-scale broiler production systems while supporting sustainable poultry production and strengthening animal health systems in Cambodia.
The project will also generate evidence on antimicrobial use, antimicrobial resistance, behavioural drivers, and economic outcomes to support future policy development and national scale-up.
“Through this collaboration, we have gained important experience in implementation research and learned how evidence can be translated into policy and practice. We look forward to continuing our work with Cambodian partners to achieve the project’s goal of reducing antimicrobial use in alignment with the national action plan. We believe that the lessons learned and best practices generated from this project can serve as a model not only for the region but also for other countries across continents striving to address antimicrobial resistance.” – Bunna CHEA, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Royal University of Agriculture, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
The collaboration reflects ICARS’ continued commitment to supporting country-led, context-specific AMR solutions across the One Health spectrum and strengthening the implementation of national AMR action plans through intervention and implementation research.
