Digital Health Transformation Workshop in Cambodia
July 29–30, 2025 | Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Key stakeholders from inter-ministries, health institutions, development partners, technical and private organizations. convened in Sokha Phnom Penh Hotel on July 29–30, 2025, for the Digital Health Transformation Workshop. Co-organized by Cambodia’s Ministry of Health, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the Asia eHealth Information Network (AeHIN), the event provided a platform to strengthen collaboration and align on a shared vision for a people-centered, interoperable, and sustainable digital health system. The workshop brought together 110 participants across sectors to reflect on Cambodia’s progress and define clear next steps.
The first day focused on high-level alignment, strategic visioning, and cross-sectoral collaboration. In his opening remarks, His Excellency Dr. Lo Veasnakiry, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Health, reaffirmed digital health as a national priority under Cambodia’s Pentagonal Strategy, linking it to broader development frameworks such as the Socio-Economic Policy 2021–2035 and the Digital Government Policy 2022–2035. Technical sessions introduced the National Digital Health Strategy 2024–2035, outlining seven strategic priorities to streamline over 100 fragmented systems. Emphasis was placed on governance, legal frameworks, patient ID harmonization, and institutional capacity, with insights from UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPTC), World Bank and Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI). The day concluded with a high-level panel calling for better alignment between development assistance and national priorities, highlighting the importance of national leadership, standardization, and human capacity as foundations for sustainable digital transformation.
Building on this momentum, the second day focused on implementing AeHIN’s Mind the GAPS, Fill the GAPS framework. Participants joined one of two working groups: Governance + People and Program Management, or Architecture + Standards & Interoperability, for country-specific discussions. The Governance group, facilitated by Jai Ganesh Udayasankaran (AeHIN) and Dr. Ly Vichea Ravouth (MOH Cambodia), reviewed Cambodia’s digital governance environment, shared governance models, and discussed the new Department of Digital Health within program management. The Architecture group, facilitated by Anis Fuad (AeHIN) and Sreang Kosal (MOH Cambodia), examined unique ID systems, implementation challenges, and opportunities to leverage datasets and platforms. Subsequent presentations expanded on workforce development, national tech policies, and private sector engagement, featuring perspectives from Smart Axiata and Metfone on connectivity and secure hosting. Dr. Boonchai Kijsanayotin (Chair at AeHIN) closed with a presentation highlighting the importance of standards, governance, and data systems.
The workshop concluded with a plenary session focused on Commitment to Action & the Way Forward wherein the stakeholders expressed their support for Cambodia’s digital transformation. Various partners including UNICEF, WHO, CHAI, the World Bank, AeHIN, and Vital Strategies, outlined their planned contributions from strengthening data systems and scaling DHIS2 to supporting policy development, interoperability, and digital health capacity. In his closing speech, His Excellency Dr. Lo Veasnakiry, emphasized the importance of digital transformation in strengthening Cambodia’s healthcare system, highlighting the need for strong governance, interoperable systems, data security, and local ownership. He also stressed ethical concerns around data privacy and reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to aligning digital health with research, collaboration, and best practices.
The two-day workshop culminated in a comprehensive status update and assessment of Cambodia’s digital health journey, identifying current gaps, outlining strategic directions, and initiating multi-sectoral collaboration. The participants reaffirmed their collective commitment to a shared, inclusive, and standards-based digital health future for Cambodia.
Photos courtesy of the Ministry of Health Cambodia