Phnom Penh

Malnutrition among pregnant women in low- and middle-income countries can cause micronutrient deficiencies leading to poor maternal and newborn health. The World Health Organization recommends antenatal multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS), which includes iron and folic acid (IFA), as it likely offers more benefits than IFA alone. Cambodia is piloting MMS implementation in Takeo Province to inform a possible nationwide rollout. This study evaluates how ready the health system is to adopt MMS by examining fidelity to guidelines, reach and acceptance, delivery capacity, and implementation infrastructure. The study involves transitioning from IFA to MMS across 86 health centers, 6 referral hospitals, and the provincial hospital in Takeo. Pregnant women attending antenatal care, healthcare providers, hospital managers, and national MMS stakeholders participate. The intervention includes a standard MMS regimen of 180 tablets taken during pregnancy. Various data collection methods include focus groups with health providers, workload surveys, monitoring of MMS stockouts, interviews with hospital managers, phone surveys with pregnant women at 90 and 180 days post-distribution, and economic evaluation to estimate scale-up costs. Participants attend antenatal care and provide follow-up information by phone. Researchers assess provider adherence to MMS guidelines, acceptability and adherence of pregnant women, supply chain reliability, and facility readiness. The study measures perspectives on transitioning to MMS at 4 months, provider workloads, and economic factors for sustainable implementation. These findings aim to support effective nationwide MMS scale-up to improve maternal and neonatal health in Cambodia and potentially guide other similar countries.

Researchers are evaluating an automated text messaging program designed to help Cambodian people living with HIV quit smoking. The study focuses on smokers with HIV who currently use combustible cigarettes and aims to assess how well this smartphone-based intervention supports their quit attempts. This research addresses the dual challenges of smoking cessation and HIV management by providing tailored support over an extended period. The study involves several interventions including an interactive smartphone-delivered messaging program that sends weekly smoking-related assessments and personalized messages over 26 weeks. These messages aim to boost motivation, self-confidence, coping skills, social support, and reduce withdrawal symptoms and stress. Participants will also receive an 8-week supply of nicotine patches, brief advice to quit, and self-help materials from a national smoking cessation campaign in Cambodia. Additionally, participants will complete brief weekly smartphone assessments about their diet during the 26-week period. Participants will be actively involved for at least 12 months, during which their smoking status will be measured both by self-reported 7-day abstinence and by expired carbon monoxide at follow-up. Researchers will monitor adherence through the smartphone assessments and evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions in supporting smoking cessation. The study includes safety monitoring related to nicotine patch use and will assess long-term smoking outcomes after one year.

Researchers are evaluating oxygen use and pulse oximetry in health facilities across six countries to understand how oxygen systems work for children under 15 years old with conditions like hypoxemia, pneumonia, sepsis, and neonatal disease. The study aims to identify barriers and opportunities to improve oxygen access and care, especially in rural and remote settings, and to learn from a multi-country program called MOXY that supports better oxygen policies, training, and data use. The study involves a set of five embedded mixed-methods sub-studies. These include assessing baseline oxygen and pulse oximetry practices in facilities, mapping patient care pathways for children with different clinical scenarios, following patient journeys during emergency care, observing healthcare workers' oxygen use in wards, and collecting perspectives from patients, caregivers, and healthcare staff through interviews and focus groups. The interventions focus on strengthening policies, training healthcare workers and technicians, and improving data systems related to oxygen. Participants will be involved in observations, interviews, and data collection at selected health facilities in Nigeria, Uganda, Liberia, Rwanda, Cambodia, and Lao PDR. Researchers will evaluate how oxygen and pulse oximetry are integrated into care, identify delays or challenges, and understand experiences of care providers and families. The primary outcome is a mixed methods evaluation over five years, including patient care mapping, facility readiness, and oxygen use practices to guide improvements in oxygen systems for children.

Vector-borne diseases, caused by bites from infected insects like mosquitoes and ticks, result in nearly one million deaths per year and are increasing, especially in Southeast Asia. In Cambodia, these diseases may account for about 10% of fevers, but many cases go undiagnosed due to limited diagnostic resources. Researchers aim to better understand these illnesses and find new ways to detect and study them using advanced genetic testing methods. The study enrolls people aged 2 months to 65 years who have a fever of at least 38 degrees Celsius, those diagnosed with infections by specific concerning pathogens, and close contacts of those infected. Participants will provide medical history and demographic information, and children will be weighed to ensure safe blood sampling. Blood tests and nasal swabs (for those with respiratory symptoms) are collected to identify pathogens using metagenomic sequencing technologies. If a highly concerning pathogen is found, follow-up samples and testing of close contacts may occur. Participants will answer questionnaires about their health and travel history. They may be contacted for optional follow-up blood and nasal swab samples 1-2 weeks and/or up to 3 months after enrollment. The study monitors the presence of infectious agents to better describe the febrile disease landscape in Cambodia and assess the impact of vector-borne and emerging pathogens using advanced genomic tools.

Researchers are evaluating how national medical oxygen strategies impact health systems and policy contexts in Africa and Asia. This study focuses on understanding the challenges and solutions related to medical oxygen access in six countries participating in the MOXY program: Uganda, Nigeria, Rwanda, Liberia, Lao PDR, and Cambodia. The research aims to inform national and global policy by involving stakeholders such as policymakers, implementers, and oxygen users, and by analyzing the costs and impacts of these strategies over four years. The study uses a mixed-methods approach with three embedded sub-studies: stakeholder analysis to understand the policy environment; policy-implementation gap analysis to examine differences between policy goals and actual practices; and comparative country case studies to identify unique challenges and solutions across different contexts. Researchers will employ co-design methods and annual stakeholder meetings to adapt the study to each country's needs. Participants, who are key informants from government, non-governmental agencies, professional groups, private sector, and civil society, will be interviewed at national, provincial, and local levels. Data collection includes interviews, policy reviews, program data, and surveys on facility readiness and clinical practices. The study will provide lessons and validated findings through national stakeholder dialogues and aims to improve medical oxygen service coverage and program implementation across countries.

Researchers are investigating immune responses in people with dengue and sepsis to better understand serious dengue disease. The study will compare blood samples and clinical data from hospitalized patients with dengue-like illness, sepsis patients, and healthy individuals. This observational study aims to reveal how the immune system changes as dengue progresses or improves, focusing on specific immune cells and responses that have not been well studied before. The study will enroll 200 hospitalized patients with dengue-like symptoms, 30 patients with sepsis, and 10 healthy volunteers. Blood samples will be collected from sepsis and dengue patients at enrollment, day 1, and day 3, while dengue patients will have an extra sample taken on day 21. Healthy participants will provide one blood sample at enrollment. This schedule allows researchers to track immune changes over time in different groups. Participants will undergo clinical evaluations and multiple blood collections during the study. Researchers will analyze immune cells, cytokines, and other markers to compare mild/moderate and severe dengue cases and sepsis. Key outcomes include measuring certain neutrophil types, immune enzyme levels, and protein expression from enrollment through day 3. The study will last through these sample collections, with no mention of long-term follow-up beyond day 21 for dengue patients.

Researchers are evaluating the spread and burden of multiple infectious diseases in Cambodia, a low- and middle-income country with limited existing surveillance and laboratory capacity. This study aims to fill gaps in understanding of disease causes and transmission by using a multidisciplinary One Health approach to assess 57 priority pathogens, including zoonotic, vector-borne, vaccine-preventable, enteric, respiratory, and neglected tropical diseases relevant to Cambodia. The goal is to inform targeted public health interventions and improve disease control strategies. The project includes a nationally representative One Health survey that integrates social science methods and diverse diagnostic testing to detect multiple pathogens. It will establish a biobank and curated datasets to support long-term research and policy development. Capacity building and technology transfer are planned to strengthen national institutions, foster regional collaboration, and engage communities and stakeholders for future studies and uptake of results. The project also aims to develop a scalable model for infectious disease assessment in similar settings. Participants will be involved through household visits where blood samples are taken to measure antibody presence against the pathogens during the inclusion period from December 2025 to April 2026. The study will collect integrated data to reconstruct transmission dynamics and estimate population immune status, using mathematical modeling to forecast disease trends and evaluate potential public health strategies. The findings and resources generated will support informed decision-making and help reduce disease burden in affected communities.