Poverty in Cambodia by Claire Reidy

Define

clairereidy05 — 2024-03-14 00:39:56 UTC

Ideal: The ideal for Cambodia is that babies and children survive and are able to grow up in their environment without struggles of insufficient healthcare and malnutrition.

Reality: Babies are dying at an abnormally high rate. With this, for every 1,000 children that are born in Cambodia, 25 die before they even reach their 5th birthday.

Consequences: The babies are dying due to malnutrition and poor health care systems, which cause a decline in the population of younger people. Because of this families are sad due to loss and mourning, along with a gap in the Cambodian population, making it hard to function as a

society.

Above is a family in extreme who received a medical card from the government during the Covid-19 pandemic to allow them to access free health care. These healthcare cards are no longer accessible for Cambodians.

The Cambodian government has made significant moves in the past two decades in improving healthcare in the country, but it still needs work. In a survey of 5000 people in Cambodia, it was found only 32% of the governments healthcare spending was spent in rural areas, where it is needed most.

Ideation

clairereidy05 — 2024-03-14 00:43:00 UTC

In our discussions, we came up with multiple ideas such as:

Mobile Healthcare Units:

Deploying mobile clinics to remote and underserved areas.

Providing basic healthcare services, vaccinations, and health education directly to communities.

Community Health Worker Program:

Training and employing local individuals as community health workers.

These workers can provide basic healthcare services, conduct health education sessions, and facilitate access to healthcare resources.

Re-Define

clairereidy05 — 2024-03-14 00:43:10 UTC

Restating the Problem:

Despite recent economic growth, Cambodia continues to face persistent poverty and developmental challenges.
Factors contributing to poverty include limited access to education and healthcare, inadequate infrastructure, environmental degradation, and political instability.
High infant mortality rates due to malnutrition and inadequate healthcare infrastructure pose significant challenges to the country's development.

Redefining the Problem:

Focusing on Child Health: Recognizing the urgency of the situation, we have chosen to prioritize the health and well-being of Cambodia's children.
Addressing Premature Mortality: With infants dying at alarming rates due to malnutrition and inadequate healthcare, our focus is on designing interventions that can save young lives and ensure a healthier future generation.
Empowering Communities: By targeting child health, we aim to empower communities to break the cycle of poverty and build a stronger, more resilient Cambodia for generations to come.

Southeast Asia: Cambodia

clairereidy05 — 2024-03-14 00:44:23 UTC

Cambodia is located in Southern Asia and has a population of 16.8 million. The country was heavily forested in the 1970s, but by the 2000s, 3/4 of the forests had been cut down. This was done by big corporations, and made it almost impossible to have many of the resources they once had.

Despite recent efforts of government and international aid helping Cambodia with recent economic growth, the country still struggles. With a poverty rate of 17.8% in 2019, Cambodia still struggles with poverty and unemployment.

Prototype and Test

clairereidy05 — 2024-03-16 01:57:26 UTC

Our prototype is a vaccination center that also provides education on health and wellness. On the left of the prototype is the education center. Here people can learn about effective ways to stay healthy and access the care that they need. On the right side of the clinic is the vaccination center, where people can receive needed life saving vaccinations.

This product cannot be tested as we cannot physically build it, but we took this into consideration. Our hope is that this could be funded by a parent charity organization. Along with this, local materials can be used for the center. Many Cambodian buildings in rural areas are made on wooden pillars and a tarp as a roof.

Currently, as of 2014, 24% of children in rural areas are fully vaccinated according to the Cambodian government. In more urban areas, the vaccination rate for children is upwards of 70%.

Empathy

clairereidy05 — 2024-03-20 00:34:19 UTC

When looking into many of the issues pertaining to poverty in Cambodia, we found that there are many issues, so there is not one simple solution for poverty. Factors contributing to poverty in Cambodia include limited access to education and healthcare, inadequate infrastructure, environmental damage, and political instability.

97% of children are in school, but they still lack the proper education for their age. With this, there is often adequate healthcare in Cambodia, but not for the rural poor areas.

How will this Help Cambodia

jacksantos1_1 — 2024-03-20 20:01:24 UTC

The center integrates vaccination services with health and wellness education, aiming to improve access to life-saving vaccinations and empower communities with essential healthcare knowledge.

Key Features:

Education Center: Equips community members with knowledge about effective ways to stay healthy and access necessary healthcare services.

Vaccination Center: Provides life-saving vaccinations to children, reducing the risk of preventable diseases and improving overall health outcomes.

Impact on Child Health:

Reducing Infant Mortality: By increasing vaccination rates, our prototype aims to significantly reduce infant mortality rates caused by preventable diseases.

Ensuring Healthy Future Generations: Immunizing children protects them from debilitating illnesses, ensuring they grow up healthier and more resilient.

Improved Vaccination Rates: Targeting rural areas with lower vaccination rates, our center aims to increase immunization coverage and bridge the urban-rural vaccination gap.