an Eldis Resource
Cambodia: health briefing paper
Overview of Cambodia’s health care system
Authors:
V. Walford
Publisher:
Department for International Development Health Systems Resource Centre , 2000
Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in South East Asia – with about 40 per cent of households living below the poverty line. The poverty of Cambodians reflects the recent history, with over 30 years of civil war and genocide. This paper, produced on behalf of the Department for International development (DFID) by the DFID Health Systems Resource Centre (HSRC), provides a brief overview of the state of health in Cambodia and the recent changes which have taken place. A number of factors characterising and influencing health in Cambodia are presented:
- Health indicators show that respiratory infections, diahorrea, dengue fever and vaccine preventable diseases are the major causes of death. In addition, there is a rapid rise in the prevalence of HIV/AIDS with estimated rates for commercial sex workers range from 30 to 60 per cent HIV positive. There are also problems associated with the past disruption and civil wars – including high amputation rates and the psychological impacts.
- The impact of many years of disruption and genocide on the health system was devastating: only 50 doctors were left in 1979; health facilities were damaged and equipment non-functional. Since 1995 the government has been in the process of implementing the coverage plan involving building new facilities in unserved areas; converting 121 of the existing district hospitals and almost 800 of the existing commune clinics into health centres; and phasing out other commune clinics.
- The amount of out of pocket expenditure on health in Cambodia is very high – about 11per cent of rural expenditure is for health; among the poorest this rises to 28 per cent. This is unusually high for developing countries and forms a major burden, with health expenditure a common cause of poverty.
- DFID developed its Country Strategy in Cambodia during 1999, which focuses attention on health and rural development. Within health, the strategy aims to build on the existing links through working with the Ministry Of Health and World Health Organisation to strengthen the policy environment for the development of pro-poor health systems, and to support a programme in HIV/AIDS and associated reproductive health issues.
[adapted from author]
