Project profile

Cambodia has made considerable progress towards the achievement of most of its health related Millennium Development Goals and National strategic Development Plan targets; a level of progress described as “nothing short of phenomenal” in a recent review of the HSP2. In 2010, the maternal mortality rate was estimated to be 206 deaths per 100,000 births, a figure which is ahead of the MDG of 250 deaths per 100,000 births. Similar progress has been demonstrated against MDG 4, with an overall infant mortality rate in 2010 of 45 per 1,000 births, compared with 66 in 2005. However, improvements in infant mortality have not been matched by improvements in neonatal mortality, which has remained stagnant since 2005 and now accounts for 50% of all deaths of children under five years of age.

 

Across our Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights programs, CARE works to ensure women have the freedom to make informed choices about their sexual, reproductive and maternal health. CARE supports health services to provide quality care, improves health knowledge at local level and ensures marginalised women have access to quality health services without discrimination.

 

 

Objective

 

1. Test, adapt, and refine key innovations from Bihar to the northeast Cambodia context, in particular the indigenous context

2. Build the capacity of the existing health system in the context of ongoing national health       programs to increase quality and effectiveness in addressing the needs of ethnic and indigenous  communities

3. Strengthen linkages and increase referrals between communities and facilities in              Sexual Reproductive Health and Right.

 

 

Key activities

Project activities include:

• Support the Village Health Support Groups to map target households (including pregnant women, women with babies (<6 months of age), adolescents, and people with disabilities.

• Support an initial meeting between midwives, Transitional Birth Attendant, and Village Health Support Groups to establish the team (one team per village), coordinate work plans, and set targets.

• Support the Village Health Support Groups to conduct regular community education sessions and conduct household visits, targeting the most vulnerable groups in their communities.

• Support Traditional Birth Attendants to do house-to-house visits with pregnant and postpartum women, refer, and escort pregnant women.

•  Coordinate with health facilities to provide transport payment for mothers and incentives for Traditional Birth Attendants referring and escorting.

• Support bi-monthly team meeting among midwives, Village Health Support Groups, and Traditional Birth Attendants at the community level, with reviewing progress of activities and documentation and identifying challenges that require support from midwives and CARE.

• On a quarterly basis, work with the ODs to assess teams based on targets and award incentives.

• Attend the monthly meeting with Commune Council for Women and Children (CCWC) to bring up the challenges related to community Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, galvanize commitment from Commune Council, and provide capacity building in terms of budget as needed.