Deadline: 22-Sep-2025
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund has launched a new initiative to strengthen maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and nutrition services in the conflict-affected provinces of Ŏtar Meanchey and Preah Vihear in Cambodia.
This effort focuses on creating a healthier and safer environment for women, children, adolescents, and caregivers, especially those who are most vulnerable, by expanding access to quality healthcare and nutrition support within the primary health care system. The initiative comes with a funding allocation of 305971 to support its implementation.
The project aims to build the technical, management, and coordination capacity of the health system at the sub-national level. Central to this effort is intensive capacity building for health providers through training and on-site coaching to ensure they understand and correctly use life-saving maternal and neonatal health equipment. At least 138 health workers will be trained across 69 health facility catchment areas, equipping them to deliver quality maternal and newborn care on-site and through outreach services targeting high-risk and displaced communities.
Alongside maternal health support, the project will address severe acute malnutrition among children. Health teams and Village Health Support Groups will receive training and tools to conduct mass screenings, growth monitoring, and provide appropriate treatment and counselling. Children identified with acute or moderate malnutrition will be supported until full recovery is achieved. This component also targets at least 138 health workers to be trained to effectively identify and treat malnutrition across the targeted facilities.
A strong focus will also be placed on community engagement and social behaviour change. UNICEF will work with government bodies, civil society organizations, local media, and community structures to expand their ability to deliver effective risk communication and community engagement activities. Around 200 community agents, including village officials and health volunteers, will be mobilized to deliver life-saving health and nutrition information, promote care-seeking behaviours, and lead integrated parenting sessions and mother classes.
The project is expected to begin on 15 October 2025 and run for six months. It sets ambitious targets, including assisting 9,195 safe deliveries, screening over 30,000 children for acute malnutrition, treating 608 children with severe acute malnutrition, and reaching 30,000 parents and caregivers with critical health and nutrition messages. UNICEF will monitor progress closely through programmatic and financial oversight, ensuring proper use of funds, while applicants are expected to propose additional indicators and outline their own contributions and co-funding to strengthen impact.
This partnership offers an opportunity to make a lasting difference in the health and nutrition of mothers and young children in some of Cambodia’s most vulnerable communities while building local capacity and resilience within the health system.
For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.