U.S. provides $34.8 mln for Cambodian health, education

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Tuesday signed amendments to two agreements with Cambodia to provide 34.8 million U.S. dollars in 2009 to support Cambodian priorities in health and education.

Hor Namhong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Flynn Fuller, USAID (U.S. Agency fro International Development) Mission Director, signed on behalf of their respective governments with U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia Carol A. Rodley as a witness.

The new funding brings to over 250 million U.S. dollars that the United States has provided in support of health and education in Cambodia since 1999, according to the press release from U.S. Embassy.

The amendment to the first agreement consists of 31.6 million U.S. dollars in grant funds to achieve health objectives. Funds will be used to promote a variety of activities to reduce the transmission and impact of HIV/AIDS; to prevent and control major infectious diseases such as tuberculosis; to fight avian influenza and other influenza-like illnesses; to improve maternal, reproductive, and children's health; and to strengthen Cambodian public-health systems.

The amendment to the second agreement will provide 3.2 million U.S. dollars in grant funds to support the Cambodian government's education objectives. These funds will support the launch of a new program that will build on USAID's ongoing education program, which is improving the quality and relevance of basic education and increasing access to schooling for all children, including minorities, people with disabilities, and the very poor.

Activities will also focus on reducing school dropout and repetition rates through improvements in teaching quality, school-management training, and measuring student academic achievement.

USAID expects to commit 61.8 million U.S. dollars in assistance to Cambodia in 2009.