An American firm Abbott partners with Cambodia to strengthen hospital nutrition care through 2029

PHNOM PENH, July 21, 2026 (KPT) – An American firm Abbott Nutrition International has signed a three‑year Memorandum of Understanding with Cambodia’s Ministry of Health to improve hospital nutrition care nationwide, aiming to boost patient outcomes through standardized practices and stronger healthcare capacity.

The agreement, running from 2026 to 2029, was signed Monday under the presidency of Health Minister Professor Chheang Ra and witnessed by Katherine Diop, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the U.S. Embassy; Brian McFeeters, Chairman and CEO of the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council; Gustavo Hildenbrand, Abbott’s Regional Vice President for Asia‑Pacific; senior Abbott executives; and members of the US‑ABC delegation.

The partnership reflects broader U.S.–Cambodia health cooperation. In April, the Ministry of Health and the U.S. Embassy signed a five‑year, US$36 million Bilateral Health MoU and Data Sharing Agreement to strengthen infectious disease surveillance, expand laboratory networks, and support Cambodia’s efforts to eliminate malaria, reduce tuberculosis and end HIV/AIDS as a public health threat. The deal established a Joint Health Cooperation Steering Committee and underscored shared commitment to long‑term sustainability.

Ra hailed the Abbott agreement as a key step toward integrating evidence‑based nutrition into hospital treatment, saying it would help reduce complications, shorten hospital stays, lower readmission rates and ease patient costs.

Under the MoU, Abbott and the ministry will focus on three priorities: developing national clinical nutrition guidelines, building capacity through training and knowledge transfer, and implementing the Nutrition Care Process in selected referral hospitals. The partnership also opens the door to cooperation in early disease detection and prevention, complementing the wider U.S.–Cambodia health framework.