Page 54 - The lraternational Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand.indd

The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand
Volume XV-2023

supplying study materials from Bangkok and 4) setting up a new study site with a
new study partner, a local NGO, AHEAD. Despite receiving approval in July 2021,
the CAM-VMW was only able to officially launch in November 2021 due to delays in
the manufacturing and supply of Dengue and Malaria/CRP RDTs from Korea.
Since then all studies have continued to successfully recruit, and COVID-19 case

numbers have plateaued.

Discussion

COVID-19 pandemic presented an unprecedented challenge to the health
system globally, the brunt of the pandemic was experienced relatively prominently
in resource limited settings (Mishra et al, 2022). Cambodia is one of the low- and

middle-income countries (LMICs) within Greater Mekong Subregion that struggled
with the resources to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. Echoing with the global strategy,
Cambodia implemented nationwide lockdown that entailed various restrictions
on travelling, and thus inevitably restrictions on research related movements
(e.g. human resources, logistics and supplies). The lockdown and restrictions posed

major challenges in initiating new and continuing the ongoing research. Despite
of these challenges, MORU together with CNM was able to maintain the research
activities and thus bears essential lessons that can be useful for future research and

implementations.
Firstly, MORU had an existing partnership with CNM since the first antimalarial

research conducted in Pailin, western Cambodia in 2007. The 2007 antimalarial research
revealed the first identification of Artemisinin Combination therapy (ACT) resistance,
which was a major public health concern that informed the subsequent research

in malaria not just in Cambodia but around Greater Mekong Sub-region and elsewhere.
The implications of the research in western Cambodia soon became the hallmark for
future of malaria research globally and also added to the need for and significance of
MORU-CNM partnership. During the conduct of research in western Cambodia
and subsequently around the malaria endemic districts within Cambodia, MORU’s

researchers and CNM partners strengthened the partnership through co-sharing of
resources (for e.g. research ideas, administrative and regulatory support, policy
translation and scientific output). Also, continuous presence of MORU in Cambodia,

ongoing collaborations and interactive relationships with CNM built and institutionalized
trust between researchers and the CNM counterparts. Trust and relationship building
have been implicated as one of the major foundations for success of research,
implementation and participation uptake (Adhikari et al, 2018; Adhikari et al, 2022a).

Sustaining Health Research During the COVID-19 Pandemic:
46 Lessons from Field Sites in Rural Cambodia