The Cambodian Red Cross (CRC) is promoting reproductive health services in communities across Cambodia to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in partnership with the government, with the overall goal being to reduce maternal, infant and child mortalities to the minimum.

Men Neary Sopheak, first deputy secretary-general of the CRC, spoke at an educational seminar with the theme “together we can strengthen reproductive health services to achieve SDGs by 2030” to students at the University of Management and Economics and youth volunteers from the CRC’s Battambang branch on April 8.

She said they have also conducted educational activities to raise awareness among the people, youths and students to support the government’s goals of minimising maternal, infant and child mortalities and helping women, children and teenage girls stay healthy, happy and prosperous, with or without families.

“We disseminate the programme to all participants for them to get a clearer understanding of reproductive health and sexual health, including physical, mental and social wellbeing, safe and effective family planning, pre-marital health checkups, the practice of having at least four prenatal check-ups, prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, cervical cancer, breast cancer and so forth,” she said.

“We see that all the students and the youths are more aware and think that this educational course is really important. In particular, the course is for all the youths and students who are at school age, at reproductive age and who may start a family in the future,” she added.

The students and youths who participated in the programme also demonstrated their commitments to continuing education as peer educators following the principle that everyone should have access to this information, including sexual and reproductive healthcare facts, so that they are informed and empowered to make decisions about their sex life.