The new Feed the Future Cambodia Harvest II program will aim to accelerate growth in the commercial horticulture sector. We are focusing on this sector because Cambodia produces only one-third of the vegetables that its people consume at this time. The rest of the vegetables come from neighboring countries. Given that the agriculture industry employs over 70 percent of the population, we believe that Cambodia could be producing more healthy and nutritious vegetables to better feed its citizens. That is why we are working with the Cambodian government, businesses, universities here and abroad, and farmers to ensure that Cambodian agriculture can feed the Cambodia people.

The One Health approach recognizes that the health of animals, humans, and the environment are all linked, and for this reason, confronting health threats requires collaboration across sectors. We need to improve our collaborative thinking. We need to reach across different sectors to help professors to teach and to encourage students to learn. We need to strengthen the connections between pre-service and in-service training. If we do these things, we have an exciting opportunity to change how Cambodian health professionals respond to zoonotic disease threats. We have the opportunity to change not only how faculty look at and teach about these disease threats, but to strengthen and improve the professional skills of the next generation of Cambodian health professionals. We have the opportunity to make a difference in Cambodia’s health security and the security of the Southeast Asia region.

I’m proud to note that under the USAID-supported Ahmedabad Sanitation Action Lab project, more than 130,000 children have benefitted from access to safe drinking water, improved sanitation facilities and the adoption of WASH and Menstrual Hygiene Management practices.

The Urban Management Centre has done outstanding work to raise awareness about menstrual hygiene, providing courses to more than 10,000 adolescent school girls and boys in schools and communities. Globally, girls continue to either drop out of school or miss days every month. This is one way in which we are helping to break the taboo.

Good morning.  I am honored to be with you today to celebrate the commendable progress that has been made to protect and conserve the Mara River Basin. Famous all over the world for its beautiful landscapes and rich biodiversity, the Mara-Serengeti attracts millions of tourists each year between July and October to watch the spectacular wildebeest migration. Not only does the Mara River need to be protected because of its one-of-a-kind migration phenomenon and natural beauty, but also because the Mara River is critical for people’s livelihoods in Kenya, Tanzania and throughout the entire East African region.