On 12 June, the IPC–PHD Battambang Rabies Prevention Center had the honour of welcoming H.E. Olivier Richard, Ambassador of France to Cambodia.

The visit began with a welcome address by Dr. PENG Yiksing, Head of the Vaccination Service, followed by a presentation of the Center. The presentation highlighted the Center’s public health mission in support of the Ministry of Health’s rabies elimination efforts, with a particular focus on providing life-saving rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to populations across the region.

H.E. Olivier Richard expressed his appreciation for the remarkable work carried out by IPC in the field of rabies prevention and control. He highlighted that IPC’s rabies prevention centers play a crucial role in safeguarding the lives of Cambodian people by providing timely access to life-saving prevention against this deadly disease.

Since its opening in 2018, the Center has provided rabies post-exposure prophylaxis to 104,034 animal-bite victims, demonstrating its significant contribution to expanding access to life-saving rabies prevention services for communities in Battambang and neighboring provinces.

As part of the ongoing collaboration between the Institut Pasteur du Cambodge and the Battambang Provincial Health Department, IPC is currently working with the PHD to integrate its International Vaccination Service into the existing PEP service at the Center. This initiative aims to further strengthen public health services and improve access to preventive healthcare for the population of Battambang Province.