UNICEF donates US$7 million worth of medical equipment for oxygen therapy to Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, 12 June 2023. UNICEF, as the global partner and lead procurer of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A), donates US$7 million worth of medical equipment for oxygen therapy to Cambodia’s Ministry of Health.

The handover ceremony today at the World Food Programme Warehouse was attended by H.E. Dr. Youk Sambath, Secretary of State, Ministry of Health, Dr. Will Parks, UNICEF Representative in Cambodia, and other officials from relevant departments of the Ministry of Health.

“During COVID-19, we saw that global access to oxygen was unequal, which impacted most low- and middle-income countries,” said Dr. Will Parks, UNICEF Representative in Cambodia. “We are proud to play a part globally in addressing this equity gap, while also enhancing Cambodia’s capacity to lifesaving measures for children and their families. As part of pandemic recovery, UNICEF remains committed to supporting the Royal Government of Cambodia in ensuring quality and equitable access of primary health care, reducing further child and neonatal mortality, so that all children have good health and a better chance to reach their full potential.”

This donation is part of UNICEF’s ongoing effort to strengthen Cambodia’s health system for equitable primary health care following the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, UNICEF has provided Cambodia with more than US$44 million in supplies, medical and cold chain equipment, COVID-19 vaccines, and medicines thanks to the support of partners such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Governments of Japan, Australia, and the Czech Republic.

“We thank UNICEF for their valuable support in effectively addressing the Covid-19 crisis and ensuring uninterrupted access to essential healthcare services for women and children, such as routine immunization and maternal and neonatal care,” said Her Excellency Dr. Youk Sambath. “Our partnership with UNICEF helps enhance our healthcare infrastructure and boost human resource development. Today's contribution of oxygen medical supplies is a step towards upgrading our medical equipment and monitoring system, which can reduce maternal and neonatal mortality rates.”

The equipment includes oxygen concentrators, patient monitors, pulse oximeters, resuscitators, and other oxygen therapy accessories that will be distributed to 131 health facilities, including national, provincial and district hospitals and health centres across the country in the coming weeks.

These supplies will ensure that patients, including children, who require oxygen therapy can receive lifesaving treatment for respiratory illnesses and other conditions, such as hypoxemia in newborns. While child, infant, and neonatal mortality has been reduced in Cambodia over the past years, according to the recent Demographic Health Survey (2021-2022), the proportion of newborn deaths in children under five years old still remains high. Newborn deaths make up almost half of child under-five deaths, a proportion that has not decreased over the past years.