Cambodia Enhances Zoonotic Disease Preparedness with FAO Training

Cambodia, with the support of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has initiated a specialist training program aimed at enhancing its capacity to assess risks associated with zoonotic diseases, particularly avian influenza and other human-animal transmissible infections. This initiative seeks to bolster the nation's preparedness against future health threats. On September 22, 2026, AKP reported that the FAO, in collaboration with the General Directorate of Animal Health and Production under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, is conducting a training program for master trainers on qualitative risk assessment for avian influenza and other zoonotic diseases. This training involves national technical officials from the human health, animal health, wildlife, and environment sectors. According to sources from the FAO, this training represents a crucial first step in a series of strategies supported by the FAO for risk analysis within Cambodia and across the region. It strengthens the implementation of risk analysis principles in animal health and lays the technical foundation for a comprehensive roadmap of interventions throughout the year. These interventions include qualitative risk assessments for animal and livestock diseases, joint risk assessments employing a comprehensive One Health approach, and specialized risk assessments for foot-and-mouth disease, an urgent priority following recent regional detections of the SAT 1 virus. Through the "Pandemic Fund," this training is also helping to fill technical gaps at national and sub-national levels by establishing national coordination and expert teams capable of providing training on risk assessment, as well as supporting and scaling up the scope of this training sustainably across Cambodia. The current training of national expert resources is building a strong foundation for Cambodia to proactively assess and respond to potential new health risks in the future. This will enable Cambodia to implement more effective disease control measures in line with international public health standards. Source: AKP Khmer