Between 2000 and 2011, Cambodia has made significant progress in improving the health of its children. The infant mortality rate has declined from 95 to 45 deaths per 1,000 live births, setting Cambodia on track to reach its Millennium. Development Goal 4 to reduce child mortality. Progress has been attributed to successful immunization programmes and breastfeeding promotion, and factors such as poverty reduction, improved education and better roads.Nevertheless, child mortality levels in Cambodia remain high by regional standards. Every day, an estimated 50 children under five die, mainly because of preventable and treatable diseases, such as diarrhoea and pneumonia. A further decline in child mortality will largely depend on the country’s ability to address newborn survival and accelerate coverage of pneumonia and diarrhoea related interventions. Despite dramatic reductions over the last five years, Cambodia’s maternal mortality ratio remains high at 207 deaths per 99,000 live births. This means an estimated 1,757 mothers die unnecessarily every year, which negatively impacts families, communities and particularly children whose mothers die.
Malnutrition remains a significant problem in Cambodia and is a cause in approximately one third of baby deaths. In the past five years, the number of children suffering from chronic malnutrition has decreased only slightly and the number suffering from acute malnutrition may have increased. Major drivers of poor nutrition in young children are inadequate complementary feeding practices, poor hygiene and high prevalence of diseases, including diarrhoea. High food prices that have persisted since the 2008 food price crisis have contributed to slowing down progress in the area of nutrition.
