Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #110674

Dy Khoy, MD, Racha, House No. 160, Street 71, Chamkarmorn, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 85512819698, kdy@racha.org.kh and Kmseng Sieng, MD, MoH, Pursat, House No. 160, Street 71, Chamkarmorn, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Poverty and ill health form a vicious cycle. Poor people easily succumb to diseases because of limited resources, lack of education and hazardous working and living conditions. In Cambodia, with 36% of the population living below the poverty line, this vicious cycle is more often felt by female-headed households who lack access to land, credit and education. Furthermore, illness can reduce a household to poverty very quickly because of the high cost for health care, transport and opportunity costs to the family. In 2000, the Reproductive and Child Health Alliance (Racha) teamed up with three provincial government departments to develop a micro-credit scheme that directly supports community health education and relevant health services. The scheme is presently enjoying a loan membership of 3,594 with no defaulters. It has generated an interest rate of more than 100% of the initial capital within five years. Female-borrowers account to 74%, giving opportunity to more women to generate their own income. Interests are used to fund health promotion activities and relevant health services including health promotion contest to women of reproductive age group (WRA). The interest also supports transportation cost in referring emergency obstetric conditions and collection of anti-retroviral drugs by people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHAs). The result is impressive: increased ownership by the community of the micro-credit scheme; increased knowledge of WRA on reproductive, maternal and child health; increased utilization of government health facilities and improved health of women and children.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to develop a socially responsible micro-credit scheme.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation