Phnom Penh: The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Kingdom of Cambodia Ministry of Health have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen bilateral cooperation in infectious disease research. The MOU, which will be operational for a five-year period, commenced on June 3, 2026, and establishes a framework for the continuation and expansion of ongoing biomedical research collaboration.
The MOU facilitates cooperation between NIH/NIAID and four key Cambodian public health institutions: the National Center for Parasitology, Entomology, and Malaria Control (CNM); the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH); the Communicable Diseases Control Department (CCDC); and the University of Health Sciences (UHS).
This MOU builds on more than two decades of productive U.S.-Cambodia scientific cooperation. NIH/NIAID first began working with the Cambodian Ministry of Health in 2005, with studies focused on drug-resistant malaria. Over the past decade, the collaboration has expanded significantly to address a wide range of diseases.
Under the MOU, the two sides will pursue joint research activities across a broad range of global infectious disease and immunology priorities, including the conduct of clinical, translational, and basic scientific studies related to parasitic, bacterial, and viral diseases; the development of improved diagnostic tests, treatment regimens, and preventive strategies for infectious and immunological diseases; and other research activities of shared scientific interest. Collaborative mechanisms will include joint research projects, scientific meetings and workshops, researcher exchanges, and training and teaching opportunities for scientists, programme staff, and students.
This partnership directly advances U.S. national health security. Diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and avian influenza H5N1 and treatment-resistant diseases, including antimicrobial-resistant bacterial infections, represent potential threats to the health of the American and Cambodian people. This collaboration enables scientists to study these diseases in a real-world, clinical setting, generating the knowledge needed to develop strategies to support an early response and contain outbreaks before they reach the United States. Scientific findings from cooperative activities under this MOU will be made available to the broader scientific community through publication and open data sharing.
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