Phnom Penh, 21 February 2025 – Today, the Kingdom of Cambodia commemorated National Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Day alongside World Health Day 2025, reaffirming its commitment to advancing reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health. With maternal health at the core of this year’s global World Health Day, Cambodia seized this opportunity to push for urgent action to reduce preventable maternal and neonatal deaths.
Despite progress at both global and national levels, maternal mortality remains a preventable tragedy. In 2020, over 800 women died each day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, and in 2022 an estimated 2.3 million newborns lost their lives. Most of these tragedies occur in low- and middle-income countries, where gaps in quality care contribute to nearly 60% of preventable maternal and newborn deaths. Additional barriers, such as limited access to care, marginalization of women and communities, and accountability gaps due to insufficient data, continue to hinder progress.
The Ministry of Health of Cambodia, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Helen Keller International, World Vision, the Health Action Coordinating Committee (HACC), the Reproductive and Child Health Alliance (RACHA) and Marie Stopes Cambodia, organized the event under the theme " Enhancing Public-Private Partnerships to Improve the Quality of Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health." This theme reflects Cambodia’s strategic commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Programme of Action of the International Conference of Population and Development. By leveraging collaboration between the public and private sectors, Cambodia aims to expand access, enhance quality, and ensure the sustainability in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health care.
Over the past two decades, Cambodia has made remarkable progress in maternal and child health. Skilled birth attendance has reached 98,7 percent, while neonatal and under-five mortality rates have dropped by 54 percent between 2014 and 2022, surpassing global averages. However, maternal mortality remains a concern, with 154 deaths per 100 000 live births – a figure still significantly higher than the 2030 SDG target. Similarly, child malnutrition continues to impact long-term productivity, with 22% of children under five stunted and 10% wasted for over a decade. Closing these remaining gaps requires further investment in enhancing the quality of reproductive health and routine care during antenatal intrapartum and postnatal periods, including emergency obstetric and newborn care, and robust referral systems for cases requiring higher-level care, as well as leveraging data to drive impact and accountability. This involves reporting maternal and newborn deaths and understanding their root causes.
Given the significant proportion of pregnant women who seek maternal care in private facilities, strengthening engagement with the private sector was a key focus of this year’s discussions. Through stronger collaboration, Cambodia can expand access to quality health services for women, newborns, children, and adolescents. At the same time, robust monitoring of quality of maternal and newborn care and data-driven decision-making will be essential not only to track progress but also to implement targeted actions that enhance service delivery.
The adolescent birth rate remains high at 48 per 1000 in 2022, particularly in rural areas, posing significant health risks for both young mothers and their babies. Expanding access to adolescent-friendly services and meeting family planning needs are essential, as rural girls aged 15–19 experience significantly higher birth rates than their urban peers. Strengthening maternal and child health must go hand in hand with improving adolescent health and nutrition to break cycles of poor health that can persist across generations.
This year’s joint celebration of National Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Day and World Health Day underscored the urgent need to prioritize maternal and newborn health as part of the global movement toward Universal Health Coverage and Sustainable Development Goals. The event served as a catalyst for mobilizing support and partnerships, fostering stronger collaboration between public and private health services, expanding the use of digital health solutions and innovative financing mechanisms, and promoting comprehensive reproductive health services, including family planning and adolescent health programs.
“Reducing maternal and newborn mortality is a commitment, not just a priority, for the Ministry of Health. Building on our progress in antenatal care coverage and skilled birth attendance, we now focus on elevating the quality of care and services. This is key to saving lives and ensuring healthy futures for mothers and newborns,” said H.E Prof CHHEANG Ra, Minister of Health.
Dr Marianna Trias, WHO Representative to Cambodia, said, “No woman should die while giving birth. Investing in maternal and newborn health through quality reproductive, maternal, and newborn care brings immense benefits—not just for families, but for entire communities and economies. Health partners remain committed to supporting the Royal Government of Cambodia to build on achievements, confront challenges, and ensure that every woman newborn and child in the country not only survives but thrives well beyond childbirth in a healthy, supportive environment that empowers them to transform their lives.”