Cambodia launches 12-year roadmap toward universal health coverage

PHNOM PENH (Xinhua): Cambodia on Thursday launched a roadmap for 2024-2035 toward obtaining universal health coverage in the South-East Asian country.

Speaking at the launching event here, Prime Minister Hun Manet said the roadmap was designed to improve health protection coverage and access to quality healthcare services at reasonable costs.

He said currently about 7 million people, or 41 percent of the total population, have been covered by some forms of social health protection services.

"The roadmap is set to expand social health protection coverage to 80 percent of the total population," Hun Manet said.

It is also to ensure the essential health service coverage index of at least 80 percent by 2035 from 58 percent in 2021, he added.

"The roadmap also aims to reduce out-of-pocket spending on health care to 35 percent of the total health expenditure by 2035 from 60 percent in 2020," he said. - Xinhua