PHNOM PENH: Undersecretary of State for the Ministry of Economy and Finance and Secretary-General of the National Council for Social Protection, Chan Narith, stated that the Royal Government will provide more than 2 million Riels to pregnant women and children under two years old by considering the number of children and some other necessary conditions.

In a statement on July 20, he said that the Royal Government will expand social protection for pregnant women and children under two years old in order to improve the health of mothers and young children and address malnutrition in children from conception to the age of two, thereby promoting physical and mental growth in the first 1,000 days of life.

He stated that starting in August 2023, the Royal Government will provide additional allowances to women who are civil servants, contract officers, interns, and factory workers who are members of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). Additionally, women from poor families will receive about 1,520,000 to 2,720,000 Riels, depending on the number of children and living conditions to promote the development of more human capital in line with national social protection policy.

The Undersecretary of State stated that the Royal Government has always considered the development of human capital in line with national policies, social protection and national development plans through the implementation of programs to protect Cambodians, especially pregnant women, which includes cash subsidies, supplementary allowances for female workers at childbirth, and maternity allowances for midwives.

At the same time, he explained that the distribution is divided into 3 stages, the first stage involves four prenatal checkups, the second stage is at delivery and the third stage includes vaccinations and up to ten postnatal checkups.