On April 8, 2026, a one-day forum on health system strengthening was organized by the Ministry of Health, with support from the Fred Hollows Foundation, at the Courtyard by Marriott in Siem Reap province. The forum brought together approximately 150 participants, including representatives from the Ministry of Health, Provincial Health Departments, development partners, and NGOs.
The purpose of the forum was to provide a platform for information sharing and dialogue on health system strengthening efforts supported by development partners and the NGO sector. It also aimed to enhance understanding of access to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Health and to address key issues raised by civil society organizations (CSOs).
The forum was presided over by H.E. Dr. Lo Vessnakiry, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Health, with participation from Dr. Mariana Trias, WHO Representative; Dr. Sing Rithireth, Vice-Director of the Siem Reap Provincial Health Department; and Dr. Bak Tokyo, Director of the Fred Hollows Foundation.
Mr. Tim Vora, Executive Director of HACC, representing HACC Secretariat, participated in the forum and was invited to present on the engagement of CSOs in strengthening the health care system in Cambodia. His presentation highlighted HACC’s background, core work, and organizational structure, as well as key contributions to four main pillars: NMCHC, sexual and reproductive health, communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases, and health system strengthening (HSS).
The presentation also outlined the current situation of NGOs in the health sector, including the number of HACC member organizations, types of NGOs, distribution of work across NMCHC, communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases, and HSS, as well as total budgets and projects. It further addressed existing challenges and proposed recommendations to the Ministry of Health. Key issues raised by CSOs included limited funding support, heavy reliance on external funding sources, and concerns related to integration and sustainability. In response, CSOs proposed several interventions, including organizing annual meetings between the Ministry of Health and NGOs, strengthening the NGO database system, conducting joint field visits, piloting non-state actor initiatives financed by domestic funds, and reducing required supporting documents for NGOs as part of the MoU process.
