Phnom penh: Cambodia and Laos are advancing their bilateral public health collaboration, with a primary focus on enhancing medical services and outbreak response efforts in border provinces. This development comes as Cambodian Health Minister H.E. Professor Chheang Ra engaged in discussions with H.E. Sonexay Vannaxay, the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Lao People's Democratic Republic to the Kingdom of Cambodia.

According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, during their meeting on June 2, the Cambodian Health Minister extended his congratulations to the Lao Ambassador on his appointment and emphasized the enduring friendship and strategic partnership shared by the two nations. The Minister expressed the Cambodian Ministry of Health's commitment to cooperating with the Lao Embassy and the Lao Ministry of Health to expedite the drafting of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) focused on health cooperation.

The forthcoming MoU aims to address the prevention and control of infectious diseases, particularly malaria, in the border regions. It also seeks to enhance the response to public health emergencies at international border gates and improve the implementation of International Health Regulations through joint training, assessments, and the exchange of health data.

Both parties have agreed to foster direct knowledge sharing between provincial health departments located along the border. This will be facilitated through regular communication, joint field simulation exercises, and the exchange of case experiences related to cross-border infectious diseases, thereby boosting joint preparedness.

Additionally, the Ministry of Health has welcomed the idea of organizing a joint pharmaceutical and medical equipment exhibition to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of Cambodia-Laos Diplomatic Relations. The Ministry also reaffirmed its dedication to mutual support within the frameworks of ASEAN, Mekong-Lancang, and Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV) cooperation.