Joint Annual Performance Review 2007 - Ministry of Health

• The Ministry of Health clearly determines the health sector policies in improving the
health and well being status of Cambodia people to contribute to the economic
development and poverty reduction in Cambodia, through the implementation of the
Health Sector Strategic Plan 2003-2007, in which the major contributing factor is
strengthening the leading roles and management capacity of the Ministry of Health for
effectively ensure the sustained health sector development for both immediate and
long term, which strongly required to enhance the coordinating mechanism for
effectively advocating and mobilizing resources within country and from external
supports. This clearly means that all expenses are toward addressing priority health
issues of people, especially the poor and those living in rural-remote areas. At the
same time, encourage the active involvement of all relevant institutions; civil society;
private sectors and all health development partners in the common goal of
strengthening health system to deliver quality health care services to people. With
strong commitment and efforts as well as support from all health development
partners, similar to previous year, there are substantial achievement in health sector
that will be mentioned in the annual summary report delivered by H.E. Prof. Eng
Huot, Secretary of State for Health in the following session.
• The Ministry of Health has its clear objective in improving access to quality health
care services of general population, especially the poor through the re-habilitation and
expansion of health infrastructure, and through strengthening management and
technical capacity of the health facilities to deliver minimum and complementary
package of activities at the health center and referral hospital level, with collaboration;
support and participation of private sector, non governmental organizations and
community. Health education on preventive measures and health promotion have been
considered as main strategy in services delivery through promoting and improving
awareness and understanding on the right of customer and the right of provider in the
context of professional ethic.
• The Ministry of Health is very proud, since the Royal Government of Cambodia
considers health sector as a priority area in Government's investment to social sector.
It is notable that the annual government health budget has been increased gradually
during several past years, especially in 2007 that the national budget for health sector
approved by the National Assembly is approximately 82 million US dollars or
approximately 5.87 UD dollars per capita per year. Nonetheless, the amount is still
low comparing to the need for delivering basic health care services, which required at
least 12 US dollars per capita per annum. This clearly means that most of funding
support to health sector still depends on external support for short and medium term.
It is also notable that the Royal Government decides to allocate fund to support the
health equity fund. This is the direct investment by the Royal Government in the
improvement of health status of the poor, since the health equity fund would remove
the barrier to the poor in getting access to health care services at the public facilities.
Currently, the number of the poor who get access to health care services through the
support of health equity fund is approximately 90,000 (89,320). The Ministry of
Health has been developing other health care financing like the community-based
social health insurance initiative to prevent the pro-poor from falling to be poor due to
health care expanses.
− Excellency Deputy Prime Minister;
− Excellencies, Lork Chomteav, Ladies and Gentlemen;
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