Options has strong experience in Cambodia. Poverty is concentrated in rural areas which are characterised by poor access to services and resources, especially for pregnant women. Options' work in Cambodia has made maternal health and strengthening health systems a priority.  

 

See below for illustrations of our work: 

Health Sector Support Project: Component for Reduction in Maternal Mortality (RMMP)
Unmet need for family planning remains very high (33%) and with a large youth population (36% are aged 10 to 24) is resulting in rapid population growth and very high numbers of unwanted and mistimed pregnancies.  The maternal mortality ratio is estimated at 437/100,000 live births. This translates, annually, into the preventable deaths of around 2,100 women and adolescent girls due to complications of pregnancy, childbirth and induced abortion. A further 80,000 suffer injuries such as prolapse of the womb, infection leading to infertility and chronic pain or fistula leading to uncontrolled leakage of urine and/or faeces.  Nearly a third of maternal mortality is related to unsafe abortion. WHO puts the figure at 130/100,000 or 29% of maternal deaths in Cambodia.  To reduce the maternal mortality in Cambodia and increase access to safe abortion and long term family planning, RMMP engages in several coordinated activities.  RMMP closely monitors and evaluates outcomes to ensure that the programme is effective and on track for reaching targets.  All activities include harmonizing and streamlining efforts with government, key stakeholders, development partners, other donors, and communities, and, where possible, clarifying values and implementing attitude transformation interventions to reduce stigma.  Activities fall into three broad technical areas: training in and roll-out of high-quality safe abortion and long term family planning services; communication and advocacy; and support to Equity Fund implementers to broaden the package of available services.

 

Capacity Building for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control
This project aimed to strengthen the governments' capacity to plan and manage an effective multi-sectoral response by: Strengthening multi-sectoral responses to HIV/AIDS  through capacity building of the National Aids Authority (NAA) and related key line ministries; supporting local responses to  HIV/AIDS through building capacity at provincial levels; and refining the existing HIV/AIDS response  through more rigorous and critical analysis of available data from surveillance surveys.  Options managed the programme over 18 months and provided long-term technical assistance to strengthen the NAA's programme.  The consultants supported the development of a National Strategic Framework (NSF) that shifted from a health-oriented approach to a multi-sectoral approach which was people-centred, gender sensitive and promoted a respect for human rights.

Social Marketing of Condoms
Options supported the design of a 5-year condom social marketing programme for  HIV prevention in Cambodia. The project approach aimed to maintain and enhance the  existing condom social marketing programme and to enable PSI Cambodia to strategically shift to a  behaviour change approach.

Urban Health Project
The Urban Health Project (UHP) aimed to increase utilisation of good quality, affordable health services in Phnom Penh, particularly by urban poor people, through developing mechanisms to manage the interface between the public and private health sectors.  Two innovative approaches were implemented: contracting public sector health providers to deliver quality basic health care outreach services to urban poor communities and an accreditation scheme for private medical providers who delivered good quality and affordable health care.