Japanese Fund to Upgrade Health in Kampong Thom Province

By Sok Lak

Under the framework of the Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO projects, the Government of Japan provides a total grant aid of US$ 131,100 to PH-Japan (PHJ) foundation---a Japanese NGO working in Cambodia to implement its health care project to enhance mothers’ and children’s health in Kampong Thom Province.

“The fund will be used to implement a project to support community based health care for mothers and children in Kampong Thom Province (Phase I) which will be expanded for a three year operation. PHJ will conduct the cleaning campaign and construction of toilets with villagers to improve public health in the target areas at Baray Santuk Operation District, Kampong Thom Province. Moreover, PHJ will provide training for Community Care Workers (CCW) for villagers enabling them to understand the importance of Maternal and Child Health (MCH).

The Grant contract was signed on July 14^th between Charge D’Affairs ad intern of the Embassy of Japan in the Kingdom of Cambodia Mr. Kawamura Hiroshi, and Ms. Nakata Yoshimi, Country Representatives of PH-Japan Foundation.

“At the completion of the Phase I project, public health target areas will be improved and approximately 47,000 people are expected to enhance their knowledge of MCH and receive improved MCH services, Ms. Nakata Yoshimi told the Southeast Asia Weekly.

She, who has been in Cambodia since 2004, reveals her inspiration for selecting Kampong Thom as the project site by saying that, “I notice Kampong Thom is one of the Kingdom’s poorest provinces where few women can access health care and hygiene, especially pregnant mothers. Now the number of women who can access health care during pregnancy has doubled over the last 10 years, and annually about 100 pregnant mothers approached the four health centers supported by PHJ, in Kampong Thom where, in 2007, the delivery rate of health care was very low, Nakata described the achievements so far.

“Upon the completion of this phase I, we will observe and analyze the achievements and decide whether to expand for other phases, and other areas or not, “she explains PHJ’s plan on the health care project. The Grant Assistance for Japanese NGOs to help Cambodia’s reconstruction and development efforts at the grassroots level. Since 2002, the Government of Japan has provided over US$ 13.6 million for 60 projects by the Japanese NGOs, mainly in the fields of primary education, health and mine actions. The project by PHJ is the first one funded by this grant scheme in Japanese fiscal year 2011 (April 2011-March 2011).

Source: The Southeast Asia Weekly, July17-23, 2011, Vol. 5, Issue 29, Page 5