Speeches Shim
There has been important progress made in fighting TB in the last two decades, both globally and here in Cambodia, and I want to congratulate the Ministry and the National TB Program on that success. But globally TB remains a major problem. Every year over ten million people are infected, and nearly 2 million lose their lives to TB. Over 4 million of those who fall ill each year do not receive a proper diagnosis or notification of their illness, leading to drug-resistant forms of TB and longer, harsher, and more expensive treatments.
Current estimates indicate that 14.2 percent of Cambodian adults 35 years old and older suffer from some form of post-traumatic stress disorder – a figure nearly six times higher than that of the United States. It is estimated that intergenerational trauma - that is trauma passed on from parents to children - is rampant. Cambodians 35 and younger– most of who are too young to have remembered the Khmer Rouge – also suffer from abnormally high rates of PTSD.
On March 24, the global health and scientific community gathered in Washington, DC, and around the world, to celebrate World TB Day, and we’re gathered here to mark the occasion as well.
USAID, through its Supporting Forests and Biodiversity project, is today providing 140 sets of forest ranger patrol equipment to rangers located in four significant forest landscapes. We will also provide training on how to use this equipment to forest rangers in Prey Lang, Tonle Srepok, Phnom Prich, and Chheab Wildlife Sanctuaries. We are confident that the Ministry of Environment and the Provincial Departments of Environment across the five provinces will use this equipment to protect these four wildlife sanctuaries.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is proud to announce its support for “Phka Sla Krom Angkar” – an innovative and creative dance project that promotes peace and reconciliation throughout Cambodia by the artistic depiction of gender-based violence under the Khmer Rouge. This project is managed by a consortium of four Cambodian organizations: the Khmer Arts Academy (KAA); Kdei Karuna (KdK); the Bophana Center; and the Transcultural Psychological Organization (TPO).
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