Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Japan Provides US$74,333 to Eight Health Centers in Takeo

The Japanese government has provided U$$74,333 to the People in Need NGO for a project that will extend delivery rooms at eight health centers in Takeo Province.


The grant contract was signed on Feb 8 between Kuroki Masafumi, Japanese Ambassador to Cambodia, and Schmied Petr, head of the People in Need mission in Cambodia, at the Embassy of Japan.

The People in Need project extended the pre/post delivery rooms in order to improve maternal and child services. At least 1,800 mothers receive proper medical care before and after delivery through the project and it’s expected to contribute to the reduction of maternal and infant mortality rates in Cambodia.

Every year, about 12,000 women deliver babies in Takeo province. However, 308 per 100,000 babies delivered died after delivery, according to Commune Database Online.

Kuroki said that the project will improve the conditions for delivery and health care service both before and after childbirth for mothers and children. “It also facilitates their families to stay at the health centers for taking care of them, which will encourage pregnant women to have deliveries in health centers.”

The cooperation will promote safe deliveries and appropriate health care services at the health centers and contribute to the reduction of the maternal and child mortality rate, which is still high in rural areas, he said.

Petr said that many health centers in Cambodia have no delivery rooms for women to deliver their babies.

Since 1991, the Government of Japan has provided US$47 million under Japan’s KUSANONE grant assistance for local authorities and non-government organizations to implement 461 projects throughout the country.

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