Partnerships For Progress

UNFPA Cambodia's success in 2023 was made possible through strong partnerships with key government ministries and civil society organizations. By focusing technical and financial resources on 8 priority northeastern provinces and leveraging guidance from the UNFPA Asia and Pacific Regional Office, UNFPA Cambodia achieved significant results in the final year of its 2019-2023 Country Programme.

   
Building on Success, Charting the Future

2023 marked the successful completion of our 2019-2023 Country Programme, paving the way for our new 2024-2028 Country Programme. This new programme, already endorsed by the Royal Government of Cambodia and the UNFPA Executive Board, outlines our strategic direction for the coming years. We are deeply grateful to our generous donors, whose invaluable support has been instrumental in achieving the impactful results we've witnessed. Their continued commitment remains crucial as we navigate through an increasingly complex development and financing landscape.

  
Highlights of Key Results

• Advancing the ICPD Agenda: Cambodia developed the ICPD Strategic Framework and Action Plan 2024-2030, outlining a comprehensive roadmap to fulfill its volunteers commitments. UNFPA Cambodia supported a Mekong Side Event at CPD57 together with UNFPA Laos and Vietnam. The event highlighted how Cambodia has mainstreamed their 12 voluntary ICPD commitments into national policies and plans.
   
• Combating Gender-Based Violence: The health sector's response to GBV was significantly enhanced through the development and implementation of national service delivery standards guidelines. In 2023, 11 referral hospitals were equipped to provide GBV response services, supporting 887 survivors.
   
• The Safe App, a GBV digital platform, was developed, well tested, and will be launched in 2024. It will be available on smartphones, offering women a secure way to learn about GBV, access support and services, and connect to urgent help when needed.
   
• One Stop Service Units in four target provinces were established and functioning, ensuring GBV survivors have access to well-coordinated, survivor-centered, multi-sectoral services. In support of these units, Provincial and District GBV Working Groups in the target provinces were established and trained to facilitate seamless coordination across different sectors.
   
• UNFPA Cambodia completed two significant GBV resources: An Annotated Bibliography on Harmful Social Norms and GBV, and a Secondary Data Analysis with key recommendations on addressing the root causes of violence in Cambodia.

Empowering Adolescent & Youth

• CSE & YH-App: The national curriculum on health education and comprehensive sexuality education was successfully implemented in 433 lower secondary schools, reaching thousands of young people. The "Youth Health mobile app" further expanded access to SRHR information, with 48,300 registered users.
   
• SHR: Eight school health rooms in priority provinces offered adolescents and youth crucial information, counseling, and referral services, including for GBV.
   
• Y-PEG: The Youth Peer Education Group (Y-PEG) initiative has successfully empowered 197 young people (119 of whom are female) and 36 school teachers (including 21 females) by providing them with skills in basic counseling, first aid, and project design and implementation. This initiative, aimed at creating opportunities for adolescents and youth to actively contribute to the betterment of their schools and communities.

Explading Access to Family Planning

• All health facilities nationwide now provide at least three contraceptive methods, with most offering up to seven. UNFPA provided technical assistance and capacity building, contributing to Cambodia's top ranking in the 2023 Contraception Policy Atlas.
   
• 341 healthcare providers were trained on updated, rights-based family planning guidelines and protocols, ensuring delivery of high-quality, rights-based family planning services
   
• Community-Based Distribution agents reached 1,511 women in remote areas, ensuring access to essential SRHR services.
   
• 27 facilities provided Adolescent and Youth Friendly Health services, with 66 healthcare providers trained to deliver these services effectively. Over 452,000 adolescents and youth utilized AYFHS during the 5-year programme.

Reducing Preventable Maternal Deaths

• A new competency-based associate degree in midwifery curriculum was rolled out, ensuring future midwives are equipped to provide high-quality care.
   
• The Maternal Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response system was strengthened, enabling data-driven action to prevent future maternal deaths.
   
• 146 healthcare providers were trained on life-saving interventions for postpartum hemorrhage, and 100 on eclampsia management, the major contributors to maternal mortality in Cambodia
   
• To bridge critical gaps in lifesaving interventions supported by the Government of Japan, UNFPA procured and handed over essential equipment to the Ministry of Health for distribution across 8 priority provinces. This life-saving equipment included 290 midwifery kits, 50 sets of manual vacuum aspirators, 150 delivery beds, 50 steam sterilizers, 400 non-pneumatic anti-shock garments, and 10 ambulances.

Reaching At Risk Populations

10,075 Female Entertainment Workers were reached with information on rights-based family planning and other SRHR services, leading to 480 receiving healthcare services and over 1,500 registering for national social protection schemes.

  
Conclusion

2023 was a pivotal year for UNFPA Cambodia, as we completed our 6th Country Programme and developed our new five year programme starting in 2024. It was a year characterized by solid partnerships, impactful programs, and time spent co-creating our five year plan. Our new 7th CPD will build on the achievements and will reach further with a focus on targeting key at risk populations, ensuring that no one is left behind. UNFPA remains dedicated to collaborating with the Royal Government of Cambodia and all partners to ensure that all Cambodians benefit from improved sexual and reproductive health and rights, improved data and evidence and improved protections against all forms of gender based violence.

UNFPA Cambodia's 2023 annual report highlights achievements across all of our three transformative results towards zero maternal mortality, zero unmet need for family planning and zero gender based violence. We recognize that much more is needed to help the Royal Government of Cambodia achieve its SDG targets by 2030 . These achievements would not have been possible without strong partnerships and the generous support of donors specifically in 2023 the Governments of Japan and Australia. As UNFPA Cambodia transitions to its new Country Programme, it remains committed to leaving no one behind and ensuring a brighter future for all Cambodians.