Given its dark history, the situation in Cambodia is positive today. Improved political stability has led to gradual democratization. By increasing our cooperation, we are now contributing to Cambodia’s own efforts to combat poverty, while working on reforms to improve citizens’ rights and their possibilities to participate in the society’s development.
Cambodia’s current strategy to combat poverty, the National Plan for Strategic Development (NSDP), is valid from 2006 until 2013. The plan focuses on good governance, capacity development, knowledge development and improved public service in rural areas.
During the last ten years, maternal mortality has fallen drastically by 60 per cent, to 206 deaths per 100 000 children born alive. This is an important change in trend, which brings the country closer to reaching the Millenium development goal nr 5 of improved maternal health.
The positive figures are the results of a major campaign, comprising various initiatives. One of them has been to expand the number of health centers and educate more midwifes. Today, there is at least one midwife located at each and every one of the country’s approximately 1000 health centres, and poor women are offered free maternity care. The health centres are encouraged to provide good maternal health care and attract women to do prenatal check-ups, by means of paying the health centres a bonus of 15 USD for every child born there alive.
Newly built roads and bridges make it easier to access health centres and hospitals.
History leads the way forward
After years of war – during which much of the population was murdered or died of starvation and hardship – the country’s infrastructure was dilapidated. Various efforts were required to combat the widespread poverty.
The overall target for Sweden’s development co-operation with Cambodia is to secure legal rights and good public service for men and women.
Sweden’s focus areas in Cambodia:
- Human rights
- Democratic development
- Education.
Read more about Sida’s work in Cambodia
