According to Cambodia’s Demographic and Health Survey 2014, only 68%
of women in the poorest quintile gave birth in a health facility and
received a low level of antenatal services.
Recommended vaccinations were recorded in only 61% of the poorest
children, and 42% were stunted compared with 32% total for the country.
Challenges identified through routine programme monitoring include
lower than expected enrolment in the cash transfer programme and low
uptake of health services by children aged 0-2.
Additionally, some of the beneficiaries face challenges in meeting the
conditions of the programme due to geographic and financial barriers.
Solution
The cash transfer programme is a national programme catering for the needs of the most vulnerable pregnant women and children in Cambodia, with an objective to improve less than optimal uptake of basic health services and tackle malnutrition.
There are over 170,000 beneficiaries, with coverage in 2020 recording 50,000 pregnant women and 28,000 children aged 0-2.
Montrose will assess the appropriateness of the programme design as well as the efficiency, effectiveness and coherence of its delivery.
The evaluation will also focus on understanding the potential impacts of the programme on the health, nutrition, and well-being of the beneficiaries.
Impact
The expectation of the programme is that the pregnant women and children will benefit from the regular check-ups, access to immunisation, health services and advice, as well as nutrition advice and support.
This in turn should improve health and nutrition status and contribute to improved human development of young children.
The primary purpose of the process evaluation conducted by Montrose is to foster learning and improve the programme.
The evaluation will identify lessons learned and provide recommendations for improvements in programme design and implementation/delivery mechanisms and processes.
