UN Analysis Final.pdf - United Nations in Cambodia

VI
YOUTH AND
HEALTH
Growing up in a developing nation like Cambodia creates both opportunities and challenges for
young people, and a number of these challenges relate to health (UN Report on Situation of Youth,
2003). Social and cultural transformations have shaped young people’s exposure to, and capacity
to deal with, risk situations. Increased materialism and urbanization have brought with them economic,
social and cultural shifts (Jourdan 2008). A critical factor is the continued development of information
communication technology (ICT), which provides access to hitherto unavailable information, and can
influence young people’s perceptions and expectations particularly in relation to social, emotional and sexual
health issues. Increasing numbers of young people find themselves in vulnerable environments, especially
those who migrate from rural to urban areas seeking employment or education and find themselves living
without family and social support (UN Economic and Social Council, 2000). Such environments have been
shown to contribute to risks including HIV infection, alcohol and drug abuse, accidents and injury, sexual
exploitation and gender-based violence. Additionally, smoking, lack of exercise and involvement in criminal
behaviour are reported to be problems for some youths. The development of unhealthy behaviour during
adolescence can have both immediate and lifelong consequences, and many global and regional reports
have called for attention to youth health issues (World Report on Youth 2005).
6.1 HEALTH POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES SUPPORTING YOUTH
A number of laws and policies that are supportive of young people’s health have been developed and
adopted by the MoH and other relevant ministries and agencies. These include the abortion law; the
women and family law; the law against domestic violence; the law against trafficking and sexual exploitation;
the law against drug abuse; the national policy on safe motherhood; the national policy on birth spacing;
the national policy on STI and HIV and AIDS; the national policy on primary health care; the national
population policy; and the national strategic plan for a comprehensive response to HIV/ AIDS.
The National Birth Spacing Policy was established in 1995, while the Safe Motherhood Policy was adopted
in 1997, giving high priority to safe motherhood and including action plan directives to reduce mortality
and morbidity and improve women’s health. The policies aim to enhance maternity care services,
including birth spacing services, antenatal care, delivery services, essential obstetric care, the treatment
of complicated abortions and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections and HIV and AIDS. The
key strategic documents are the National Strategic Plan for Reproductive and Sexual Health 2008-2012
and the National Strategic Plan for Reproductive and Sexual Health 2006-2010, the overall goal of both
being to attain a better quality of life for all women, men and adolescents through the provision of effective
and appropriate sexual and reproductive health programmes. Four priority objectives were set out within
the plan: (i) improved policy and resource environment for reproductive and sexual health priorities
(e.g. maternal and newborn health, STIs and HIV and AIDS, and family planning); (ii) increased
Situation Analysis of Youth in Cambodia
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