Development assistance in Cambodia
Health security in Cambodia
Health Equity and Quality Improvement Initiative (H-EQIP)
$57.34 million, 2016-2021
Australia is collaborating with the World Bank and other development partners on the Health Equity and Quality Improvement Project (H-EQIP). H-EQIP is providing performance-based funding directly to health centres and hospitals to help them deliver tangible improvements in health services. Through H-EQIP, and in partnership with the German Development Agency (GIZ) and the Cambodian Ministry of Planning we are also identifying the poorest Cambodians (through the Identification of Poor Household Program) and reimbursing their essential health care costs.
Our support for H-EQIP has enabled Australia to engage in policy dialogue with the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Health on reforming public financial management in the health and other service delivery sectors. This has resulted in increased investment by the Cambodian Government in healthcare, and measures which make more efficient and effective use of public health funding.
Australia previously supported the health sector through the Second Health Sector Support Program (2009-2016).
Related documents*
Identification of Poor Households Program (IDPoor)
$14.3 million, 2010-2021
IDPoor is the Cambodian Government’s means-testing system. IDPoor is critical for the efficient targeting of social assistance and services to the poor as Cambodia implements its National Social Protection Policy Framework and responds to COVID-19. IDPoor is enabling the RGC to rapidly roll out a large-scale, unconditional cash transfer (a first in Cambodia) to poor Cambodians in response to COVID-19. IDPoor plays a key role in Australia’s support for making healthcare available to all Cambodians – it is relied on by the Ministry of Health to identify the poorest Cambodians who receive subsidised health care.
Related links
Identification of Poor Household Program website
Mekong Women’s Empowerment Project (Empower)
$4.3 million, 2018-2022 (contribution towards $10.3 million initiative)
The Mekong Women’s Empowerment Program (Empower) is a women’s economic empowerment project operating across 14 provinces in Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar. The program uses an innovative private sector approach developed by Marie Stopes: “MS Ladies” are selected who meet certain education criteria and have an existing women’s health-oriented business that they wish to expand. In Cambodia, Empower operates in areas with high rates of poverty and limited access to high quality sexual and reproductive health services.