Healthcare for 80% of Population by 2035
Photo: Prime Minister Hun Manet Facebook
- By Meng Seavmey
- May 23, 2024 4:10 PM
PHNOM PENH – Cambodia aims to expand healthcare coverage to 80 percent of the total population, Prime Minister Hun Manet said as he launched a road map for universal healthcare 2024-2035.
The road map was launched to strengthen healthcare services and reduce people’s expenses on treatment, Hun Manet said on May 23 at the launch.
Nearly seven million people, or 41 percent of the population, are covered by at least one social protection system. The goal for the next 12 years is to cover 14 million people through the social protection system, national social security fund or ID-Poor card.
The road map also aims to achieve the essential health service coverage index of at least 80 percent, aligned with the WHO’s principle, targeting as many people as possible.
This will reduce personal expenses to only 35 percent of their healthcare costs by getting services/treatments near their place at acceptable prices, Hun Manet said.
As a member of the World Health Organization, the country, with this road map, also wants to provide quality healthcare services and treatment with equity, thus reducing people’s financial burden on healthcare.
“Modernizing the health sector is meaningless if the people cannot access the services/treatments. Therefore, we must expand accessibility, especially to the poor households,” he said.
The improvement is not only aimed at people in cities/towns but also at those in rural areas, Hun Manet added. The road map was another step to implementing the 24/7 service at health centers, especially at local levels.
The Prime Minister also called on local authorities and police to ensure security for local health centers and posts.
Thus far, the government has expanded the scope of equity fund programs to around 450,000 vulnerable households, or 1.5 million people last year, and that of the national social security fund (NSSF) to family members or people under the care of NSSF holders, for around three million people.
Health is one of the sectors on which the country spends the most. In 2023, Cambodia spent over $573 million on the sector.
