National AMR context
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing challenge in Cambodia and has been identified as a national priority through the country’s multisectoral AMR action plans. Since 2012, Cambodia has strengthened collaboration across the human, animal, and environmental sectors through a One Health approach involving the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), and the Ministry of Environment (MOE). Cambodia’s Multi-Sectoral Action Plan on AMR has prioritised improved governance, surveillance, responsible antimicrobial use, public awareness, and research.
In the animal health sector, considerable progress has been made in developing surveillance systems, laboratory capacity, and guidelines for prudent antimicrobial use. However, important challenges remain. Targets related to reducing antimicrobial consumption in animals have not yet been achieved, and the implementation of existing guidelines and awareness activities has been limited. Surveillance studies continue to demonstrate the presence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in food-producing animals, including poultry.
The Cambodian government is currently implementing a new AMR action plan for 2025–2029, which emphasises rational antimicrobial use, good production practices, surveillance, governance, and risk communication. This project directly supports these national priorities by generating evidence and testing practical interventions to reduce antimicrobial use in poultry production.
Problem this project addresses
Poultry production is one of the fastest-growing livestock sectors in Cambodia, with small and medium-scale farms producing approximately 75% of the country’s broiler supply. Increasing demand for poultry meat has contributed to widespread antimicrobial use, often for disease prevention rather than treatment. Studies and field assessments indicate that antibiotics are frequently used without prescriptions, treatment regimens are not always followed, and antibiotics may be changed when initial treatments fail.
Several factors contribute to inappropriate antimicrobial use. These include limited awareness of AMR, poor husbandry and biosecurity practices, insufficient access to veterinary advice, weak implementation of regulations, and economic pressures faced by farmers. Existing evidence also points to significant knowledge gaps regarding antimicrobial use patterns, drivers of use, and the relationship between antimicrobial use and resistance at farm level.
The result is continued reliance on antibiotics and the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in poultry production systems. This project addresses these challenges by improving broiler husbandry and biosecurity practices, strengthening prudent antimicrobial use among veterinarians and animal health service providers, and generating evidence to support policy improvements and future scale-up.
Project overview
This implementation research project aims to reduce antibiotic use in Cambodia’s small and medium-scale native broiler sector through improved husbandry practices and prudent antimicrobial use. Led by the Royal University of Agriculture in partnership with MAFF, GDAHP, NAHPRI, AVSF, CP Company, and UPM, the project will be implemented in Kampong Speu and Tbong Khmum provinces.
The project combines interventions targeting both the demand for and supply of antimicrobials. Farmers will receive training and coaching on Good Broiler Husbandry Practices (GBHP), including biosecurity, animal health management, and disease prevention measures. Veterinarians and animal health service providers will receive training and coaching on Prudent Use Guidelines (PUG) for antimicrobials.
Baseline and endline assessments will examine husbandry practices, antimicrobial use, antimicrobial resistance, antibiotic residues, behavioural drivers, and economic outcomes. The project will also evaluate the effectiveness, acceptability, feasibility, and cost-benefit of the interventions. Findings will be used to develop recommendations for policy revisions, farm certification approaches, and nationwide scale-up. The project seeks to generate evidence that supports sustainable reductions in antimicrobial use while maintaining poultry productivity and strengthening animal health systems in Cambodia.
“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. We look forward to continuing this partnership and generating practical solutions that can reduce antimicrobial use, strengthen animal health, and contribute to Cambodia’s efforts to tackle antimicrobial resistance.” – Wesal Zaman, Science Advisor: Social and behavioural sciences, ICARS
Intended outcomes
The project’s overall aim is to reduce total antibiotic use by 20% in small and medium-scale native broiler production in Cambodia. It seeks to achieve this by improving husbandry and biosecurity practices among poultry farmers and strengthening adherence to prudent antimicrobial use guidelines among veterinarians and animal health service providers.
Key outcomes include increased adoption of Good Broiler Husbandry Practices, more responsible antimicrobial use, improved access to professional veterinary advice, and strengthened awareness of AMR among farmers and service providers. The project will also generate evidence on antimicrobial use, antimicrobial resistance, antibiotic residues, and the behavioural and economic factors influencing antimicrobial use decisions.
At the policy level, the project will provide evidence-based recommendations to strengthen regulations, inspection systems, and prudent antimicrobial use guidelines. It will assess the feasibility of certification approaches that incentivise low-antibiotic production and support the integration of project findings into national training curricula and farm registration systems.
In the longer term, the project is expected to contribute to reduced antimicrobial resistance risks in the poultry sector, improved animal health and productivity, stronger national AMR surveillance efforts, and more sustainable livestock production systems aligned with Cambodia’s national AMR priorities.
“ICARS is a unique international funding agency that our project team has had the opportunity to work with. Beyond providing financial support, ICARS also offers valuable technical assistance through a co-development approach, ensuring that projects are designed and implemented in accordance with the country’s context, needs, and available resources. 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
