Cambodia

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On 26 June 2014, the Kingdom of Cambodia joined the SUN Movement with a letter from Chhay Ly Yim, the Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Council for Agricultural and Rural Development. At the time, Cambodia’s Council for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) and line ministries had developed the National Strategy for Food Security and Nutrition (2014 – 2018). The strategy was developed to complement existing sector strategies and plans and serve as a platform for joint inter-sectoral actions for food security and nutrition. In line with the strategy, the Ministry of Health launched Cambodia’s first National Fast Track Road Map for Improving Nutrition (2014 – 2020) to ensure that health services were delivering key nutrition interventions at scale. Other line ministries had also begun to develop similar road maps to ensure implementation of the inter-sectoral strategy.

Progress

Bringing people together
 59% 2016

Bringing people together
Coherent policy and legal framework
 58% 2016

Coherent policy and legal framework
Aligning programs around a Common Results Framework
 48% 2016

Aligning programs around a Common Results Framework
Financial tracking and resource mobilization
 33% 2016

Financial tracking and resource mobilization
TOTAL
 50% 2016

TOTAL
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Nutrition situation

32.4%

Under Five Stunting

8.2%

Low Birth Weight

65%

0-5 Months Exclusive Breastfeeding

9.6%

Under Five Wasting

2%

Under Five Overweight

43.8%

Woman Anaemia 15-49 years

5%

Adult Blood Glucose (Diabetes)

17.6%

Adult Overweight

3.2%

Adult Obesity
Nutrition Data Definitions

Strategic objectives

The Cambodian Working Group for Food Security and Nutrition meets, since 2014, every two months. Within the last year, a new Sub-Working Group that also integrates water, sanitation and hygiene has been created. Networks with the relevant stakeholders have also been established, bar a Business Network, with a remarkable 31 organizations joining the Civil Society Alliance (CSA). Recently, a Technical Working Group on Social Protection, Food Security and Nutrition was established in Cambodia.

Last updated: December 2016

2015
The Royal Government of Cambodia has mandated the Council for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) to facilitate effective coordination, policy guidance, monitoring and information management for agriculture and rural development, social protection, food security and nutrition. The Technical Working Group (TWG) for Social Protection & Food Security and Nutrition is chaired by CARD and receives facilitation support from several UN agencies (WFP, FAO, UNICEF). The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) provides a platform for the TWG to identify priorities, harmonise activities, address technical issues, mobilise resources and monitor progress. The TWG meets on a regular basis and a TWG Secretariat has been established with participation from line ministries and multiple stakeholder groups to improve coordination.
The Civil Society Network is being developed with Helen Keller International (HKI) appointed by CARD to lead the network. The establishment of institutionalised business and donor networks remains under discussion although in March 2015, over 250 representatives from all stakeholder groups came together and endorsed a Declaration on Nutrition. The declaration highlights the National Strategy for Food Security and Nutrition (NSFSN) (2014-2018) behind which all stakeholders are aligning their support.

Last updated: October 2015

In 2015-16, rapid situation analyses, supported by the SUN Civil Society Alliance and UN Network, have been conducted to assess gaps and needs in the areas of breast milk substitute promotion, salt iodization and the management of acute malnutrition. A water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) Action Plan – with guidelines – was developed by the Ministry of Rural Development whilst the Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
created a Plan on WASH and agriculture, in addition to several other key Plans and Guidelines.

Last updated: December 2016

2015
Cambodia’s Rectangular Strategy for Growth, Employment, Equity and Efficiency Phase III (2014-18) includes nutrition and has set a broad policy direction for improving food security and nutrition. The Rectangular Strategy identifies priorities for enhancing availability, improving access, and utilisation of food.
The NSFSN, launched by the Prime Minister in 2014, was developed to complement the existing sector strategies and plans to fill gaps and include updates to international recommendations for nutrition. The NSFSN is an advocacy instrument for additional funding and enhanced coordination and integrated action for improved food and nutrition security. With leadership from the Ministry of Health, an evaluation of breastmilk substitutes and salt iodisation legislation was completed. Violations were reported and following this, a National Oversight Board was established to support adherence to legislation against the promotion of breastmilk substitute.

Last updated: October 2015

Most SUN stakeholders have been successful in aligning their work with the National Nutrition Policies and Strategies – in particular the National Strategy for Food Security and nutrition 2014- 2018, with 90% of the Joint Monitoring Indicators (JMIs) developed – based on mutual accountability for development results – were implemented in 2014-2015. Furthermore, The UN Network reports annually on UNDAF priorities.

Last updated: December 2016

2015
In order to align the NSFSN indicator framework with the National Strategic Development Plan 2014-2018 result framework, as well as indicator frameworks from other national strategies and plans, the following monitoring and evaluation implementation process was agreed:
i. Monitoring of specific interventions and programmes is carried out by implementing sectors and will report statistics to CARD.

ii. CARD will follow up with sector ministries, to compile and integrate sector reports, and assess the overall impact on the NSFSN goal and objectives. CARD will publish an annual M&E report for the NSFSN.

iii. Annual progress review workshop of the NSFSN will be organised by CARD to discuss the M&E report to inform policymakers, implementers and development partners in the framework of the Cambodian Development Cooperation Forum (CDCF) who will appraise the overall planning of FSN related interventions and future resource allocations.

iv. An independent mid-term review of the NSFSN will be carried out at the end of 2016 to support a more informed dialogue on further development of the strategy.

The NSFSN currently includes 14 Joint Monitoring Indicators which provide a framework for setting medium-term goals based on outcomes prioritised in the Rectangular Strategy.

Last updated: October 2015

In 2015, the Government started implementing its nutrition programme, budgeted and costed previously. To date, there is no nutrition-specific budget line, as most interventions are classified as health programmes. However, 16 out of 20 NGOs and members of the UN Network report to have spent $2.8 mill in 2015 on nutrition interventions. A recent analysis shows that the Ministry of Health has allocated ca. $800,000 to nutrition,
the Ministry of Rural Development $2.5 million, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry $16 million.

Last updated: December 2016

2015
Efforts to track financial expenditure include a recent analysis led by the Ministry of Health with support from the World Health Organisation and the Clinton Health Access Initiative. This analysis titled “Estimating health Expenditure in Cambodia – National Health Accounts Report (2012)” was published in October 2014 and showed that Cambodia was spending 1.3% of Gross Domestic Product on health in 2012. The analysis showed that 0.4% of the spending on health was spent on nutritional deficiencies.
A recent evaluation (UNICEF, WFP, CARD) estimates the economic burden of malnutrition in Cambodia is a loss between USD 250 and 420 million per year (approx. 1.5-2.5% of GDP). Following this, the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Planning with support from CARD, UNICEF and HKI, developed a conceptual budget for Cambodia’s Fast Track Road Map for Improving Nutrition (FTRM). The FTRM provides partners with a framework to assess the feasibility and affordability of interventions and a platform to further discuss relative costs, opportunities and challenges. Cost estimates of the FTRM over the 6 years of implementation are 40 million USD.

Cambodia is planning the development of a guideline to integrate into the training curricula of Commune Councils to scale-up food security and nutrition in the local planning and budgeting process.

Last updated: October 2015

SUN Government Focal Point

Silo Sok
Deputy Secretary General Council for Agricultural and Rural Development

Donor Convenor

  • TBC

Key Documents

6 resources found
Cambodia SUN Movement Annual Progress Report 2016
Cambodia Joint Assessment 2016 (EN)
The 2015 SUN Report - Cambodia
Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia Message
Letter from the Secretary of State
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