While Cambodia has made significant development strides over the last three decades, a child’s access to quality healthcare often remains dictated by geography. In many remote provinces, healthcare infrastructure remains severely under-resourced or non-existent.
In this episode, host Anubha Rawat sits down with Dr Bill Housworth and Dr Lori Housworth, co-founders of Chenla Children’s Healthcare in Cambodia. After travelling to Cambodia in 2001 and witnessing the stark lack of pediatric services outside major cities, Bill and Lori relocated to Cambodia in 2008. Together, they set out with a new purpose: how can we build an inclusive healthcare system designed to reach everyone, in line with national priorities and resulting in local ownership in the long-term?
Rather than establishing standalone private facilities, the Chenla Children’s Healthcare model is embedded directly within existing public hospitals where child mortality is the highest. Operating under the mantra “the patient is the boss”, Chenla provides vital clinical training, equipment, extra staff, and mentorship, while the government supplies infrastructure and operation support. This partnership lowers costs, ensures local ownership, and aims to work Chenla out of a job.
And this model works.
Since Chenla entered Kratié province, child mortality before age five has plummeted from 1 in 14, to 1 in 71. Today, Chenla Children’s Healthcare provides comprehensive pediatric care to over 1 million people across northeastern Cambodia on a budget of $1.6 million, reducing child mortality by 80%.
Chenla is a powerful example of what development organisations can achieve when they invest in local actors, strengthen existing public systems, and design for long-term, systemic change.
Learn more about Chenla Children’s Healthcare here: https://www.chenlachildrens.org/
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