Kantha Bopha Hospitals Cambodia

Project completed

Founded by Dr. Beat Richner in 1992, the five Kantha Bopha Hospitals (KBH) provide in 2016 free of charge health services for children and expecting mothers, and cover around 60–85 % of all sick children in Cambodia. Given their broad coverage and their status as Governmental University hospitals, KBH are a crucial actor in the Cambodian health sector. While their long term financial sustainability is a concern, it is SDC’s objective through this proposal to address the matter.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Cambodia
Health
nothemedefined
Primary health care
Health systems strengthening
Infectious desease
01.09.2016 - 31.07.2019
CHF  14’610’000
Background

As a post-conflict country, Cambodia is facing multiple challenges, such as centralized health system, mistrust in and poor quality of public services and widespread corruption. However Cambodia has made tremendous progress towards the MDGs especially in health, but much remains to be done if the country wants to achieve Universal Health Coverage as in the Agenda 2030. In this sense Cambodia is undergoing major structural and institutional health reforms.

Objectives

Improve child and maternal  health through equitable and quality public health services

Target groups
  • Children (<15 years) and expecting mothers in Cambodia
  • Accompanying caregivers of patients
  • Cambodian health personal (doctors and nursing staff)
Medium-term outcomes
  1. Reduction of maternal mortality by 15%.
  2. Reduction of child mortality by 15%.
  3. Financial sustainability of KBH is to 50% reached and, thus on track to be independent from Dr. Richner’s fundraising activities.
  4. The KBH are part of, and integrated in the health sector reform and, thus, in the health system in Cambodia.
  5. To recognize the KB model as a standard for child health care in Cambodia, the model is based on evidence and understood.
Results

Expected results:  

  • SDC engages actively in policy dialogue with the RGC to increase state budget allocation to the KBH.
  • By supporting the governmental “special committee”, complete integration over of the KBH is facilitated.
  • Regular dialogue with KBF contributes to support the foundation’s efforts to diversify KBH funding base.
  • SDC coordinates with other key health partners and influence sector-related donor decisions.
  • As co-secretariat of P4HC+, SDC is an active player in the dialogue on health financing in Cambodia and at global level (through the GPH).
  • Through analysis/studies, SDC contributes for pro poor health financing reforms, including human resource financing.
  • By supporting proper reporting and data analysis of the KBH, the replication of the model is eased.


Results from previous phases:  

  • Children hospitalization increased from 120,000 in 2011 to 137,270 in 2015 (+14%).
  • Children consultations decreased from 800’000 cases in 2011 to 766’006 in 2015 (-4.5%).
  • Deliveries increased from 16,512 births in 2011 to 21,900 in 2015 (+32.5%).
  • 21’474 surgical interventions performed in 2015 (2013: 16’749).
  • Mortality rate in KBH is 0.3% in 2015.
  • Dialogue between Government and KBH was established: Government recognizes KBH as a model and increased its funding.
  • SDC is actively represented in Donor Coordination in health, support to KBH is integrated in Cambodia Country Program 2014 – 2017; and aligned with Joint European Strategy 2014 – 2018;
  • Study on health financing completed and study on universal health coverage in Cambodia including KBH sustainable started.


Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Credit area Development cooperation
Project partners Contract partner
Swiss Non-profit Organisation
  • Kantha Bopha Foundation


Other partners

Ministry of Interior/NCDD-Secretariat

UNICEF, USAID, DFAT, JICA, KOICA

Coordination with other projects and actors
  • Ministry of Health
  • Ministry of Economy and Finance
  • Children’s Hospital Zürich
  • WHO, BMZ/GIZ
Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    14’610’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    14’602’248
Project phases Phase 10 01.01.2023 - 31.12.2027   (Current phase) Phase 9 01.01.2019 - 31.03.2023   (Completed)

Phase 8 01.09.2016 - 31.07.2019   (Completed)

Phase 7 01.05.2013 - 31.12.2016   (Completed) Phase 6 01.01.2010 - 31.12.2012   (Completed)