UN Analysis Final.pdf - United Nations in Cambodia

A comprehensive set of policies and programmes should focus on these current health issues affecting
youth. There is particular need to target specific population groups, based on their ethnicity, geographical
location, and the needs of both single and married young people. Programmes should be instituted that
guarantee full access to health information and services, and should include training for livelihoods and
life skills, freedom from violence, and connections to supportive youth networks. Drug users will need
specific attention, as care should be taken that they are not treated as criminals. As the Prime Minister has
said, “illicit drug users should be victims who need to receive care; while criminals who produce, traffic,
and use drugs must be heavily punished according to the law”. It will be necessary, therefore, to promote
universal awareness of the harm caused by illicit drugs, tobacco use and alcohol consumption, especially
among young people.
To arrive at policies that better address young people’s health status, it will be necessary for the Government
and NGOs to develop advocacy, awareness-raising and health education programmes for youth, their
households and communities. These programmes need to respond to the differing needs of young males
and females, setting out very specific priority actions and projects. Government and non-governmental
agencies should work together, based on existing local authority levels and community-based networks,
and build effective collaboration with religious and local ethnic leaders, schools, medical practitioners,
social service counsellors and families. They should engage young people in community discussions on
development and encourage them to be active in decision-making within their communities.
Specific recommendations include:
Continue and expand comprehensive health education by targeting both in- and out-of-school
youths, with a wide range of geographical coverage. This should be provided consistently to all
Cambodian youths from an early age. More importantly, health-related issues concerning youth must be
included in Commune/Sangkat development plans and should be considered as a priority.
Increase comprehensive access to accurate information on sexual and reproductive health, the impacts
of smoking and alcohol and drug abuse, through mass media or outreach programmes, including a
telephone hotline and Internet sites designed for youths.
Improve health services through expanded youth counselling services and youth networks to ensure
that at local level, especially in the communes, there are social or medical counsellors and social
volunteer workers. In addition, provide health services to respond to unwanted pregnancies and
abortions among young people, whose sexual activity is often unplanned.
Develop and/or support programmes that will reduce the incidence of fatal and non-fatal injury
among youth, with particular focus on mitigating suicides and road traffic accidents.
6.4 RESEARCH GAPS
This chapter shows the need for several areas of research. Among the key concerns needing additional
investigation are:
Links between unwanted pregnancy among 15-24 year-olds and the incidence of abortion, particularly
the reasons for the absence of a trained provider for abortions.
Situation Analysis of Youth in Cambodia
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