Three ministries signed a joint agreement on Thursday to implement a cash allowance programme for pregnant women and children under two years.

The new programme aims to assist malnourished children from poorer families and will enhance the physical and mental wellbeing of both children and mothers who enrol.

The joint announcement was co-signed by the Ministries of Interior; Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, and Planning.

The Post obtained a copy of the announcement on Thursday, which said upon request, each commune and district administration would be given a tablet to help implement the programme and identify poor families in their communities.

The Ministry of Planning will be responsible for compiling and updating valid data on families to be used with the technology information management system of the programme.

The three ministries also announced that capital and provincial governors would coordinate with the Departments of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation; Health; Planning, and the relevant departments in the capital and provinces to implement the programme and solve problems.

“Commune and district chiefs have to assign people to implement the programme in communes and districts. The basic operation book on the cash allowance programme for pregnant women and children under two years will provide guidelines,” the ministries said.

Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation spokesman Touch Channy said on Thursday that the division of roles for each ministry makes it easy for them to perform their duties.

“The inter-ministerial announcement aims to make it easy for each ministry to fulfil their work. We will implement the cash allowance programme for pregnant women and children under two years in accordance with my ministry’s basic operation book,” he said.

Its minister Vong Soth said in response to nutritional problems of pregnant woman, breastfeeding mothers and children, the government started the cash allowance programme on June 1, last year, in line with the National Social Protection Policy Framework for 2016-2025.

The ministry said the programme requires recipients to receive health care services at public health bases for pregnancy care during and after delivery.

The ministry said for pregnant women and children under two years to have access to the programme, they have to register their names at any commune or district.

To do so, they have to attach documents and meet requirements such as having been checked at a public health base at least once. They also must attach maternal health books and social security cards or priority cards.

Children under two years have to use children’s health cards while children whose mothers registered their names under the programme would be registered automatically.

The ministry said after registering names under the programme, recipients have to follow health check conditions to receive cash allowances in stages.

The first stage is 40,000 riel for each pregnancy check, which can be done four times before delivery. The second stage is 200,000 riel once during delivery.

And in the third stage, they will receive 40,000 riel for 10 miscellaneous health services, including health checks three times after delivery and administering vaccines for children under two years.