Clinical training in Cambodia August 2025

Building capacity in low & middle-income countries

In August, ADDRI assembled a team of clinical specialists and experts from Australia and the UK to once again deliver important clinical training to improve the diagnosis and treatment of asbestos-related diseases, this time in Cambodia in August 2025.

Supported by the Australian Government, Asbestos and Silica Safety and Eradication Agency (ASSEA), this training was delivered in collaboration with the Cambodian Ministry of Health, Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA and other very important stakeholders like the World Health Organization and International Labour Organization.

With experts across the major speciality areas including radiology, pathology, oncology, epidemiology and nursing, our goal is to equip local health professionals with the knowledge, tools and support to manage the ongoing diagnosis and treatment of these diseases –  as well as offering ongoing virtual guidance and support for training participants.

The latest figures published in the IHME Global Burden of Diseases Study estimate approximately 115 people die each year from all types of asbestos related diseases, predominantly asbestos-related lung cancers. This estimate is considered to be significantly less than the true burden of asbestos exposure due to the inability of the medical sector to diagnose ARDs.

As the WHO Collaborating Centre for the Elimination of Asbestos and Dust-Related Diseases, ADDRI is committed to supporting our regional neighbours and is well placed to facilitate this training program – because the absence of data should never be mistaken for the absence of disease.

Day one

The first day opened with a special address from Cambodia’s Minister of Health, His Excellency Prof. Chheang Ra, who expressed strong support for the training and reinforced the important message on the risks of asbestos-related diseases for the people of Cambodia.

The Cambodian Government announced a national ban on all types of asbestos and asbestos-containing materials would be introduced by 2025 when launching the Occupational Health and Safety Masterplan 2023-2027. Cambodia has also recently launched their National Cancer Control Plan 2025-2030, which includes strategies to reduce exposures to environmental and occupational risk factors like asbestos.

Day two

The second day of training workshops began with an introduction to the key specialty areas involved in diagnosing (Radiology, Pathology) and managing (Oncology, Nursing) occupational diseases – with a particular focus on asbestos-related diseases and their growing significance in Cambodia and across the South-East Asian region.

In the afternoon, participants joined specialty streams for more in-depth tutoring. These included practical training in identifying disease markers in radiographic imaging and histopathological samples, supported by real case studies to strengthen diagnostic skills. The oncology and nursing stream focused on treatment options for patients already diagnosed, exploring the medical journey they face from diagnosis through to end-of-life care in most cases.

Day three

The final day of the workshops brought together all the learnings, with a focus on practical actions to improve diagnosis and, critically, the prevention of exposure to stop future cases of occupational disease.

Key discussions included the role of surveillance through epidemiology in identifying disease burden across the Cambodian workforce, and the importance of thorough exposure histories in guiding care for affected workers. Practical actions also covered: building an evidence base to support asbestos phase-out; leveraging technology to identify and safely remove asbestos materials; and developing clinical guidelines for the diagnosis, management, and surveillance of asbestos-related diseases.

Next Steps

ADDRI will now work in collaboration with ASSEA and APHEDA to develop a suite of actions that will further support the medical and clinical sector in Cambodia. These actions include:

This training (as with all previous in-country training) marks just the beginning of a long-term commitment to eliminating occupational diseases in Cambodia and across the South-East Asian region.

With thanks to our specialist training team