A delegation from the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH), including Dean Professor Teo Yik Ying, Chief of Staff Ms Quake Ai Li, NUS Cambodia Program Lead Associate Professor Siyan Yi, Associate Professor Christina Wong, and Ms Esabelle Yam, visited Cambodia from 22 to 25 July. During their visit, the team participated in a series of meetings and events with government agencies, development partners, and local institutions.
On 24 July, Professor Teo attended the International Consultation Meeting, hosted by the University of Health Sciences (UHS), a key partner of the NUS Cambodia Programme. The meeting was opened by His Excellency Professor Chheang Ra, Minister of Health, and focused on creating a five-year strategic plan for the UHS Global Health Research Centre. In his presentation, Professor Teo emphasised the importance of academic-government partnerships in global health and shared how SSHSPH’s collaboration with Singapore’s government and ASEAN countries has influenced public health policies, enhanced research capacity, and strengthened regional collaborations.
The following day, Professor Teo and Associate Professor Yi attended the official launch of Cambodia’s Third Fast Track Initiative Roadmap for Reducing Maternal and Newborn Mortality, which aims to accelerate progress towards 2030 health targets. The event, officiated by His Excellency Professor Chheang Ra, Minister of Health, was attended by senior government officials and key development partners, including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
In his opening remarks, Professor Teo recognised Cambodia’s advances in maternal and child health and highlighted various collaborative projects with the National Maternal and Child Health Centre (NMCHC) and UHS, including a digital health implementation to support village health support groups in improving coverage and outcomes of maternal and child health services. He also reflected on the journey of the NUS Cambodia Programme, in partnership with local stakeholders, over the past 11 years and reaffirmed NUS’s dedication to ongoing collaboration in maternal and child health, as well as other priority topics for Cambodia’s government.
The visit also included discussions with local partners such as the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS), WHO, WaterAid, and Water for Cambodia about implementing Wateroam water filtration systems to provide clean drinking water in Cambodia. Associate Professor Wong and Ms Yam visited two health centres in Koh Kong Province and a Provincial Teacher Training College in Siem Reap to discuss water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) challenges with staff and conducted preliminary assessments of water sources and quality.
Additionally, the SSHSPH team met with the UHC Secretariat at the Ministry of Economy and Finance to explore collaborations in strategic purchasing, health technology assessment, and health tax reform. The team also visited Her Excellency Ms Teo Lay Cheng, Singapore’s Ambassador to Cambodia, at the Embassy, to share updates on NUS Global Health’s programmes in Cambodia and the wider Southeast Asia region.
SSHSPH remains dedicated to collaborating with Cambodian partners to support policy-driven research, capacity building, and regional engagement, fostering sustainable, evidence-based solutions that enhance public health and improve lives.
