The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved $ 32.5 million in financing to improve access to quality health care in Banteay Meanchey, a border province in northwestern Cambodia and an area where migrants leave. And back as well as a location for job seekers in the province’s special economic zones.
The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Health Project in Cambodia will expand coverage of health care for migrant workers whose domestic and foreign health services are not yet available and for people in border areas where migrants The district passes through and lives. The project will increase concessional loans of $ 27 million and grants of up to $ 5.5 million to the Royal Government of Cambodia to build and equip health facilities in border areas, expand financial protection related to health care for migrants, and strengthen the system. For the integration of cross-border health services, including the creation of mobile electronic health records for migrants.
Rikard Elfving, ADB Senior Social Officer for Southeast Asia, said: “Regional cooperation and integration across the Greater Mekong Subregion has boosted economic growth as well as more mobility for better employment and opportunities.” . “It also poses a health challenge related to human mobility for border areas connected to major economic corridors.”
Health systems in border areas are often inadequate to respond to health challenges related to human mobility, as seen during the outbreak of Kovid 19 as more Cambodian migrant workers 260,000 returned home. Most of them have returned to the mainland border with Thailand, which has exceeded the capacity of the border health system to identify and treat 19 Kovid cases.
The GMS countries have agreed on the need to strengthen the protection of vulnerable communities from the health effects of regional integration and have given priority to strengthening health systems in border areas. Investing in a health care system for migrants will facilitate the resumption of safe migration, which is important for post-Kovid 19 rehabilitation in the Greater Subregion.
The Greater Mekong Subregion Health Project will be based on ADB’s experience in supporting communicable disease management programs and will include lessons from Cambodia’s response and recovery from the 19 Kovid epidemic.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is committed to achieving environmental prosperity, resilience and sustainability in the Asia-Pacific region in line with its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Founded in 1966, the bank is governed by 68 member countries, including 49 countries from Asia and the Pacific.
