The NUS Cambodia Programme, led by Assoc Prof Siyan Yi and Ms Esabelle Yam, concluded a series of high-level engagements in Phnom Penh from 19 to 21 January 2026, undertaken together with colleagues from the Health Intervention and Policy Evaluation Research (HIPER) and the Southeast Asia Regional Collaborative for Health (SEARCH).
Together with regional policymakers and practitioners from Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, China, and India, as well as global experts, the NUS team engaged with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the National Social Protection Council (NSPC) under the Ministry of Economy and Finance to exchange experiences on strengthening health systems and advancing universal health coverage.
Discussions with the Ministry of Health on 19 January 2026 focused on key priorities in Cambodia’s health system reform agenda, including health financing and budgeting, service delivery across primary, referral, and national levels of care, and the strengthening of health information and digital systems. Exchanges with senior MoH officials highlighted efforts to enhance the use of health indicators for priority setting, and advance digital initiatives such as unique health identifiers and electronic medical records to support service delivery, planning, and health technology assessment (HTA). At Calmette Hospital, discussions centred on referral pathways, emergency and intensive care capacity, payment mechanisms under social health protection schemes, and the importance of integrated financing, data use, and system-wide capacity building.
Building on these engagements, a one-day technical and policy dialogue was held on 20 January 2026, co-organised with the General Secretariat for the National Social Protection Council (GSNSPC). The dialogue brought together approximately 50 representatives from the NSPC, including senior management and technical units, to discuss the role of HTA and strategic purchasing in strengthening social health protection systems and advancing universal health coverage (UHC).
The dialogue featured regional and international perspectives, with speakers sharing country and global experiences. These included Ms Anne Julienne Genuino-Marfori (Philippines), Dr Panji F. Hadisoemarto (Indonesia), Assistant Professor Shiyi Tu (China), Dr Neha Purohit (India), and Professor Wang Hong (global experience), alongside NUS faculty including Associate Professor Alec Morton and Assistant Professor Kiesha Prem, and with the NSPC on Cambodia’s experience. Discussions focused on how HTA and strategic purchasing can be applied to improve efficiency, equity, and sustainability in health financing, in the efforts to advance UHC.
The visit concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and the GSNSPC. The MoU was signed by Professor Teo Yik Ying, Vice President (Global Health), National University of Singapore, and Dean, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, and His Excellency Dr Chan Narith, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economy and Finance and Secretary General of the GSNSPC.
The MoU formalises a shared commitment to collaboration in policy-directed research and analysis, and capacity strengthening, building on prior and ongoing engagements, including the political economy of health tax reforms, as well as technical collaboration on HTA and strategic purchasing. The signing ceremony was presided over by Her Excellency Pen Sopakphea, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economy and Finance and Chair of the Executive Committee of the NSPC, with Ms Bernice Seow, First Secretary (Political) from the Embassy of Singapore in Cambodia.
The MoU provides a platform for strengthened cooperation in research, capacity strengthening, and policy support, as Cambodia continues its journey towards UHC. Through these engagements, NUS reaffirms its commitment to supporting evidence-informed decision-making and health systems strengthening in Cambodia and the wider region.