Joint Annual Performance Review 2007 - Ministry of Health

Midwifery in Cambodia (5)
• IU also is planning to start a four-year midwifery
course (Bachelor in Midwifery) for none nurse
entrants, to commence later in 2006.
• Despite all of the above training programmes,
there remains a growing shortage of midwives,
particularly in rural and remote areas. There is a
very low level of applicants to the Post-basic
(3+1) Midwifery programme, and the
attractiveness of midwifery as a profession is
considered to be decreasing due to low civil
service status, low salaries, limited interest of
young people to live and work in rural/remote
areas, and fear of health risks, especially
HIV/AIDs.
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Results: Coverage (1)
• It is clear that midwives in Cambodia are
working in many different sectors throughout the
country, including in the private sector and for
NGOs. Estimates suggest approaching 4,000
midwives reside in the country. Give that number
of these are retired and that some 2,626 are
working in the public sector, it is obvious that the
majority of them are employed in the health
sector, mainly in public service.
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