Ratanakiri, Cambodia - Yong, a resident of a remote indigenous community in Ratanakiri province, experienced her water breaking in a morning, signaling the onset of labor. What Yong did not anticipate was that her path to motherhood would take an unexpected, life-saving detour from the natural birth she envisioned.
Her father arranged a tuk-tuk for the bumpy one-hour journey to the Provincial Referral Hospital in the provincial town. He advised Yong to go there rather than a private clinic or at home delivery, believing that the private healthcare providers or traditional birth attendants would still transfer her to a public health facility anyway if complications arose. Things turned out as he had feared. Following a medical examination upon arrival, Yong was told that the umbilical cord wrapped the neck of the baby, which posed risks to her and her baby.
A doctor at the Provincial Referral Hospital, who received training in Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC) supported by UNFPA, managed Yong's case which later stabilised her emergency situation. She underwent a C section and delivered her baby approximately two hours after arriving at the hospital. Yong reported her state during the procedure: "I had no concerns and scares." She attributed this to the doctor's communication style, explaining that the doctor spoke slowly using simple words to explain what was happening to her and her baby from the rights-based perspective. The medical team also allocated one hour for her and her family to ask questions and discuss the situation before making a decision to have a C section. Yong stated, "I trusted in their expertise."
Yong remained at the hospital for eight nights, receiving post-operative care and health advice for herself and her baby. She reports that her baby is growing healthy. Regarding the care received, she mentioned, "People in the community ask me how the service was. I recommend the hospital to people who seek care."
Yong’s experience, while ending with joy, highlights a critical challenge in Cambodia. The national maternal mortality ratio is 154 per 100,000 live births, which is significantly higher than the Asia & Pacific average of 113. In addition, indigenous populations may face additional challenges in accessing health services due to factors such as geographical distance and/or language barriers.
Yong's case is just one example of a woman with a complicated pregnancy being treated by a health professional and team who received training supported by UNFPA. In collaboration with Cambodia's Ministry of Health, UNFPA works to improve the quality of EmONC services with the objective of reducing preventable maternal deaths. In 2024, UNFPA trained 173 health professionals in basic and comprehensive obstetric and newborn care. UNFPA has also worked with the Ministry of Health to update the EmONC curricula to align with global standards and supported monitoring and supervision activities to ensure that EmONC services adhere to national norms and standards. In 2024, through providing updated guidelines, protocols, and training aligned with global standards, UNFPA empowered health professionals in eight priority provinces to effectively manage 8,124 near-miss cases, including 4,390 C sections, as part of ongoing efforts to ensure pregnant women, including those in hard-to-reach areas, have access to maternal health services and safe delivery.
